Holiday of Disaster
by Angelina K
Summary: *CH 10 UPLOADED* After a lapse in emergencies, Jeff decides to take his sons on a vacation to the mainland. What happens there could make the boys wish they were saving people instead of needing saving themselves... (COMPLETED!)
1. Chapter One

Hey everybody, I'm back with a different Thunderbirds story. My last one, which didn't even have a title, wasn't something I wanted to keep going with so I decided to start something new. This one is more detailed and I had a great time writing it. So please let me know what you think by reviewing!  
  
Angelina  
  
*************************  
  
"Alan!" Virgil jumped up out of his chair in surprise, anger glowing on his face. "What was that for?"  
  
His fair-haired brother grinned and took a few steps back, an empty glass in his hand. The contents, or what had been the contents, was now running off Virgil's head and drenching his shirt. "I decided you looked a bit hot and could use some cooling down."  
  
Virgil stepped towards him slowly and Alan moved backwards, matching his pace. Only a few more steps now, Virgil though to himself. Just a little bit more. . .  
  
Splash! Alan's sandal-clad foot met the ledge of the pool and he tipped backwards, tumbling into the crystal-clear water below. The glass in his hand went flying and Scott grabbed it before it could hit the patio floor.  
  
The Tracy brothers, minus John who was in the space station orbiting the earth, began to laugh. Scott put the cup on the table and sat down beside Gordon who found the entire scene rather funny. He and Tin-Tin were doubled over with laughter at the sight of his soaked brother treading water in the pool.  
  
"All I did was dump water on you, you dumped me in the water!" Alan protested as he swam to the side and grasped the ledge. He stared up at Virgil who was having trouble keeping a straight face.  
  
"That was the whole point, Alan. You should know by now that older brothers are supposed to do double the damage."  
  
"Oh, shut up." Alan climbed out of the pool and grabbed a towel from his father while still glaring at Virgil.  
  
Jeff Tracy sat down under the umbrella next to his oldest son, Scott. It had been a lazy morning for all of them and there had been no calls for International Rescue for quite a few days now. Because of this, he had decided his sons deserved a break and had taken them to the mainland for a holiday. The hotel they were staying at was large and sat right on the edge of a cliff overlooking tossing blue waves. The pool was set back from the ledge; it's waters sunken below the ceramic patio that lined the deck to one side. A bridge led from the main part of the hotel over the small stretch of ocean between it and the recreation area.  
  
Alan slouched down on the warm tiles and wrapped the towel tighter around himself. He was still scowling at everyone who had laughed at him, which only left out Kyrano, Tin-Tin's father. He was coming across the bridge with a large platter of lemonade and enough cups to go around.  
  
The calmness of the day was shattered when a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere. The bridge began to rock and the platter fell from Kyrano's grip into the ocean below. He grasped the rope handrails of the bridge and held on tightly as another burst of wind knocked the umbrella from its hole in the table.  
  
The force was so strong that Alan believed only a tornado would rival its strength. Everything became cold and he shuddered against his wet clothes only to feel goose bumps running up and down his skin.  
  
Kyrano continued to make his way across the bridge. The Tracy's and Tin-Tin were desperately trying to hold onto napkins and paper cups as the wind threatened to blow them away. All of a sudden, the bridge slid sideways and Kyrano lost his grip, stumbling forwards and towards the rope ledge.  
  
The next few seconds almost seemed to be in slow motion. Kyrano tried to grab onto something to stop himself from falling but it was no use. His fingers slipped from the rope and he began to tumble into the rocking waves below.  
  
"Father!" Tin-Tin yelled, her voice captured by the wind and her words lost. "Oh, Father! He can't swim!"  
  
Scott kicked off his shoes and ran towards the cliff edge. Below him, Kyrano was bobbing up and down, tossed by the sea like a piece of paper on the breeze. He took a deep breath and jumped off the edge, performing a perfect dive into the ocean fifteen feet beneath.  
  
"Scott!" Gordon cried, alarmed. The rest of them looked down over the cliff to watch the rescue Scott was trying to attempt.  
  
Alan stood up and tried to calm Tin-Tin down as she clutched his arm. Jeff's forehead was creased with worry because, although he knew Scott was an excellent swimmer, the waves looked too strong for a human being. Kyrano was merely a dot on the surface, bouncing around in the current.  
  
Scott plunged under the water head first, feeling as if someone had just wrapped him in a sheet of ice. He shivered mentally and pushed up to the surface. As soon as his vision had cleared and he'd pushed his dark hair out of his eyes, he could make out the faint form of Kyrano floating only a few feet away.  
  
Swimming hard, Scott headed towards him, his leg muscles aching with the effort. It took a few minutes of straining his limbs but eventually he was within reach of the older man. Wrapping one arm around Kyrano, he pulled him closer and turned back to the beach.  
  
The wind was still strong and he could feel it sending chills over his upper body as he fought against the waves. His legs were numb as they kicked towards the shore, Kyrano unconscious under his arm. It took almost twice the time to return and Scott crawled onto the sand that lay beneath the bridge at one side of the cliff.  
  
He was panting hard as he collapsed on his back and rested Kyrano down next to him. Everything he could see was going red, then black, and then red again as the blood pulsed behind his eyes. Scott groaned and shut them, willing the feeling to go away. He was trembling from the cold of his wet clothes and the wind that blew sand around them.  
  
Tin-Tin sprung into action and sprinted for the stairs leading down to the beach, the others not far behind. She led the way until they were down on the sand before dropping to her knees beside Kyrano. Alan crouched next to her and Gordon, Virgil and Jeff leaned over Scott.  
  
Kyrano's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at his daughter, murmuring things she couldn't understand. Alan shed his damp towel and put it over him, trying to keep him warm. He was pale and weak, having blacked out from the fall. Tin-Tin tried to get him to speak coherently and keep him awake until they could find some way to get him back up the steps. She knew the boys could probably carry him, but turning to the others who were inspecting Scott, she wondered if they'd need to carry him too.  
  
"Scott?" Virgil shook his older brother gently, willing him to open his eyes. "Scott, can you hear me?"  
  
Scott raised one arm to show he heard and then rested it back down on his stomach. He didn't want to open his eyes for fear that he'd get dizzy. He was still freezing cold and the sun that was shining down on the group didn't make him feel any warmer because of the wind.  
  
"Scott, are you okay? Put up one hand for yes." Gordon prompted.  
  
He put up the one hand, wishing everyone would go away so he could sleep. His thoughts were getting hazy and his brain was becoming fuzzy. He wasn't thinking straight and yearned for silence so he could rest.  
  
"You have to get up." Alan was saying, having left Tin-Tin and come over to see what was happening with his brother.  
  
"Tired," Scott moaned, blindly pushing at the air, trying to make them leave him alone.  
  
"We know you're tired, Scott, but if you don't get warm soon, you'll get hypothermia for sure." Jeff said.  
  
Scott opened one eye and looked up at them, letting out a sigh. He had done barely anything for the past three days and now he'd put his life in jeopardy against waves almost too strong to swim through. The cold that had seeped through his clothes and had made his skin damp and clammy almost screamed for some kind of sickness to set in.  
  
Virgil pushed Scott into a sitting position, bracing him against his shoulder until Jeff could get some sense into him. Eventually they managed to get him to his feet, his weary legs collapsing under him.  
  
Scott fell back to the sand with a gasp, his head finally having cleared. Some of his strength was returning, but he still wanted to sleep. He didn't think his body would ever get warm, and he felt as if he was trapped in the middle of the artic with no way out. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.  
  
"Come on, Scott. You're getting paler by the minute. Do you think you can walk?" Alan asked.  
  
He nodded and pulled himself to his feet, using his youngest brother for support. Finally, with help from Virgil and Gordon, he managed to get to the stairs. Alan and Jeff set about carrying Kyrano across the sand behind them, holding Tin-Tin's father tightly while he tried to stay up.  
  
"I'm all right now, guys. Go help dad." Scott instructed Virgil and Gordon, getting his commanding voice back. He coughed and choked on some seawater before holding onto the handrails and stumbling up the stairs.  
  
"You sure you don't need any help, Scott?"  
  
"I'm fine, Virgil," he answered, determined to reach the hotel on his own. He ached all over but forced himself on, knowing he was stronger than his body was letting him be.  
  
When they reached the top of the stairs, Scott waited for the rest of the group to bring up Kyrano and then assisted them in carrying the man across the bridge and back to the hotel. The wind had died down to a steady breeze now, and other than the damage it had done to the picnic area, it was like nothing had ever happened.  
  
+++  
  
"Where's Scott?" Gordon called as he walked wearily back across the bridge towards the pool where Alan and Tin-Tin were swimming.  
  
Virgil looked up from his easel and adjusted the painter's hat he refused to paint without. "He's resting in his room for the rest of the afternoon. I've never seen waves that forceful." He put a dab of green on his canvas and studied it thoughtfully before lightening it with some white.  
  
"Me neither." Alan agreed, passing the brightly coloured beach ball to Tin- Tin who knocked it back to him.  
  
"Do you think he'll be okay?" She wondered, forgetting the ball and looking at Virgil and Gordon.  
  
"Scott? Oh yeah, he'll be fine." Gordon waved off her concerns. "I think his body's just a bit surprised at the lack of exercise and then having to push itself so far today."  
  
"That sounds about right. Scott's been a lump on the patio chair for the last few days." Alan said.  
  
"Hey, kid, you can't talk. You haven't done much either." Gordon remarked.  
  
"Don't call me 'kid'. And I never said I had." Alan replied, ducking under the water and grabbing Tin-Tin's legs. She cried out, feeling his hands around her ankles and kicked furiously, trying to get him off her. Tin-Tin laughed as he finally let go and came up for air.  
  
"We should be heading in soon. It's almost supper time and we promised dad we'd all eat together in the dining room." Virgil reminded them.  
  
"Isn't Penny coming out with Parker tonight?" Gordon questioned.  
  
Virgil nodded and swiped at the canvas with a shock of dark blue. Before Gordon's watchful eyes, he transformed it into the raging waves that had taken over the sea only a few hours earlier.  
  
"That's great, Virg." He commented, stepping closer for a better look.  
  
Alan dried his hair with his towel and came over to watch his brother paint too. "Hey, isn't there that talent showcase at dinner?" He asked Gordon.  
  
"I think so. Are you thinking of entering it?"  
  
"Me? No way. I think Virg should."  
  
Virgil stopped painting. "Don't get any ideas, Alan. I'm not going to do anything but relax tonight."  
  
Alan shrugged, but Gordon could see the mischievous twinkle in his little brother's eye before the younger one turned away.  
  
"I'm going to go get ready. I'll see you boys in the dining room at six." Tin-Tin waved and walked back across the bridge, holding her towel tightly to her as it swung gently in the breeze.  
  
"We should do the same, Alan. Dad'll have our heads if we're late." Gordon said, starting after Tin-Tin.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm going." Alan followed him and then turned back to Virgil, who was still silently adding white to the waves to create the froth. "Aren't you coming?"  
  
"I'll be there in a few minutes. Let me finish up and then I'll pack it in." He said absently.  
  
Satisfied with this answer, Alan crossed the bridge behind Gordon and the two of them disappeared from Virgil's line of vision as he began making clouds in the pale blue sky.  
  
+++  
  
Virgil strode into the dining room just as the large grandfather clock in the corner chimed six o'clock. He looked around for a few moments before spotting a familiar group and making his way over to them.  
  
"We were worried you weren't going to get here in time, Virg." Alan said, his eyes shining and his lips twisted in an odd smile.  
  
"In time for what?" He took a seat next to Gordon and noticed the vacant chairs around the table. "Where're Scott and Kyrano?"  
  
"Tin-Tin made Kyrano stay in bed and rest and Scott should be here soon." Alan answered, ignoring Virgil's first question.  
  
The waiter came and took their orders and Virgil stretched out in his chair with a content sigh. Alan stood and walked towards the stage. The talent act that had been on when Virgil had entered the room was just finishing as Alan stepped up and took the microphone.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to give a warm welcome to our second act of the night, Virgil Tracy playing the piano!"  
  
Virgil sat bolt upright, hearing his brother say his name. He stood, his face hardening slightly and made his way to the stage. He put his hand over the microphone and glared at Alan. "I thought I told you not to get any ideas?"  
  
Alan grinned at him. "It was too late. I already had the idea in my head."  
  
"You're dead, Alan. I'm not kidding." By the look on his face, Alan thought Virgil might actually follow through on his threat. "You know I hate playing the piano for an audience other than you guys."  
  
"So now's your time to get over your fear."  
  
"I never said I was afraid." Virgil protested.  
  
"But it's what you meant. Now go and play, these people look like they're getting restless." Alan looked at him encouragingly and jumped off the stage.  
  
Virgil glanced after him, feeling his stomach tying itself into a knot. He sat down at the large piano and stared at the polished white keys, wondering what to start with. Finally, he stretched his fingers and placed them down in a piano version of Dangerous Game by the Cass Carnaby Five.  
  
The last note had died off and vigorous applause replaced it. He looked over his shoulder at his family, who were clapping especially loud. Virgil was about to leave the stage when Alan motioned to him to play something else. The twists in his gut slowly came undone as he blocked everything out and continued playing the piano, his hands flying over the keys and a soft melody filling the room.  
  
Scott glanced at his watch as he ran down the hall towards the dining room. He'd fallen asleep watching an old movie on TV and was already late. He stopped to catch his breath as he stepped inside the large restaurant, only to hear the faint strains of a familiar tune coming to his ears. Scott leaned against the doorframe and watched the figure at the piano as he played. A small smile formed on his lips and he shook his head slightly before finding the Tracy table and sitting down beside his father.  
  
"You're just in time to hear Virgil play." Jeff commented.  
  
"I noticed. How long has he been up there?"  
  
"Ten minutes or so."  
  
The song ended and Alan jumped up, spotting a familiar woman standing in the doorway. He held up his hand just as Virgil was about to launch into another song and took the microphone again. "And now, we have a duet between our pianist and the lovely Wanda Lamore!" He said, his voice echoing off the pale walls.  
  
Virgil raised his head as the woman walked up the small set of stairs to the stage and winked at him. He smiled back as she pushed the dark hair of her wig behind her shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Parker stride across the dining room to the table and seat himself across from Tin- Tin.  
  
Virgil recalled one time when he and Lady Penelope, who sang under the name Wanda Lamore, had been goofing around on Tracy Island when it had been too cold to go outside. Everyone had gathered in the living room and she'd sung the soulful words to his piano notes. He began the intro of the song they'd done together that night and she stepped up the microphone.  
  
A few minutes later, they were greeted with loud cheers and a few catcalls from the men in the back of the restaurant. Virgil stood up and gave Lady Penelope a brief hug in greeting and thanks and they headed back to the table to eat.  
  
+++  
  
Virgil climbed the stairs tiredly. It was after midnight and the Tracy's, Tin-Tin, Parker and Penelope had spent the evening talking and joking around in the dining room and the bar that adjoined it. They'd pushed Alan away from the alcohol as they always did, teasing him that he was too young to drink. Now he, Scott and Virgil were retiring to their rooms for the night, leaving the others downstairs to finish their party.  
  
Scott yawned and went to pull his coat closer around himself when he realized he wasn't wearing it. "I left my jacket in the dining room. I'll catch up with you two tomorrow." He waved at them as he turned and headed back down the stairs. "Goodnight!"  
  
Virgil and Alan repeated the word and went their separate ways down the hallway.  
  
Scott took the stairs two at a time until he reached the lobby and wasn't surprised to hear his father's deep laughter mixing with Gordon's as they shared a plate of chicken wings with Parker, Penelope and Tin-Tin. He greeted them, picked up his coat and exited the room, ignoring his want to stay with them and join the fun. When he was halfway up the stairs again, he heard a voice calling his name. Scott turned and leaned over the railing to see who it was.  
  
He felt strong hands on his back as his body tipped forward and he began to fall. The air was stolen from his lungs as his head connected with the first stair and a few seconds later he hit the wall of the landing. Scott moaned in pain as he gasped for breath, his body in a crumpled heap. Every limb ached from his previous adventure, but now a searing pain ran up and down his right arm. Scott forced his eyes open and looked up, hoping to see who had pushed him.  
  
No one was there. Remembering someone calling him, he stood up slowly and peered down the stairwell to see if anyone was in sight. That area was vacant as well, and he hadn't recognized the voice. Disappointed, Scott walked carefully up the stairs, trying not to move his sore arm and stumbled into his room after swiping the keycard in front of the sensor. 


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning, Scott tugged on his clothes and then wrapped his right wrist in a tensor bandage he always carried with him. He tried to be as prepared as possible, no matter where he was, because he never knew what might happen, especially on a rescue. He wandered down the hall to Virgil's room and rapped gently on the door.  
  
His brother opened it, his eyes still hazy with sleep. "What, Scott? It's not even ten yet, I'm not done sleeping."  
  
"I need to tell you something. I'd tell dad, but he'd make us leave for sure. Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure." Virgil moved away from the door and sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs, motioning for Scott to do the same. "What's going on?"  
  
"Someone pushed me down the stairs."  
  
"You woke me up to tell me that?" Virgil asked grumpily. "Are you sure you didn't fall?"  
  
Scott held up his injured wrist. "If I fell, it wouldn't have been with enough force to have hurt this much." He answered. "I felt them push me."  
  
"So why are you telling me?"  
  
"I think someone is out to get us."  
  
"Who, like Alan?" Virgil rolled his eyes as he remembered being backed into a corner the night before.  
  
"No, not Alan. There's something weird going on here. Last night, someone called my name but it wasn't any of you. I know that much for sure. And then, the next thing I knew, I was lying on the carpet. While I was trying to find out who it was that was yelling, someone came up behind me."  
  
Now Virgil looked a bit more awake. "People have tried to sabotage us before, but never while we've been on vacation. Why do you think someone would bother now?"  
  
"They must want us out of the hotel for some reason," Scott mused. He looked up at Virgil. "Promise not to tell dad?"  
  
"Yeah, I promise. But I don't see why we shouldn't."  
  
"I'm not ready to go home yet, and our holiday has just begun. Everyone'd hate me for cutting it short."  
  
"I see your point. All right, I'll keep my mouth shut." Virgil agreed, running his hands through his bed-head brown hair.  
  
"Thanks, Virg." Scott stood up. "Want to go get some breakfast?"  
  
"Are you kidding? I want another few hours of sleep. Wake me when it's time for lunch."  
  
Scott chuckled. "Okay. See you later."  
  
"Yes, see you. Oh, and Scott?"  
  
He turned back to his brother as he opened the door. "Yeah?"  
  
"Be careful."  
  
"I will. Bye, Virgil." Scott smiled at him and left the room.  
  
+++  
  
After breakfast the next morning, Virgil set out his easel, donned his painter's cap and doused his brush in water before sitting down on the chair he'd placed on the edge of the cliff. He eyed the painting, deciding what part to paint next and then chose a pale green from his palette.  
  
He ignored the cries of Scott, Alan and Tin-Tin. The three were horsing around in the pool, trying to see how much they could splash each other. Virgil was surprised Scott had joined in their game, as he always seemed to be the sensible one and couldn't care less for horseplay.  
  
"Forget the painting and come in the water, you old man," called Alan playfully, his voice carrying over the water.  
  
"Hey, boy, watch it with the 'old man' business," Scott answered, dunking his youngest brother under the water and holding his head there for a second before allowing Alan to come up for air.  
  
That started the war. Alan jumped on Scott and pushed him under as Tin-Tin tried to pull them apart yet stay out of the line of fire. Scott yet out a loud war cry as he splashed Alan and threw the beach ball at him. It bounced off the blonde's head and Alan glared at him. Scott looked down at the damp tensor bandage around his wrist and then unwound it, throwing it onto his towel that sat on a plastic chair on the side. His wrist was feeling immensely better, and he was sure the exercise and the cool water was a big help to the healing process. He glanced up just in time to see the beach ball come flying at his face and ducked.  
  
Jeff chuckled as he and Lady Penelope watched the boys playing as if they were still children. He was glad more than ever that he'd suggested the idea for a vacation. It was allowing them to loosen up a bit and not have to worry about their lives, as well as any others.  
  
Just as Virgil was dotting the top of his hills with sunlight, his brush dancing off the canvas, he felt cold water begin to drip down his back. He turned and painted a large yellow-green streak across Alan's wet stomach and then resumed his painting as if nothing had happened.  
  
Gordon found this hilarious and was laughing so hard he fell off the diving board into the water. He'd been planning to show them just how a perfect dive was supposed to be executed, but instead managed an artistic-looking belly flop. Scott saw this as an opportunity to soak his other brother and set about doing so. Tin-Tin joined in until Gordon looked like a drowned dog, his hair hanging in front of his eyes and a huge smile on his face.  
  
"So, you coming in or not?" Alan asked, wiping the paint off his skin as best he could. His efforts only smeared it into a bright mess and he eventually gave up.  
  
"Can't you see I'm busy?"  
  
"Geez, Virg, you're painting for heaven's sake. Give it a rest and come in the pool, will you?"  
  
Sighing, Virgil gave in and put his brush in the small container of water at his feet. He stood up and stretched, threw off the robe that covered his bathing suit and allowed Alan to push him into the refreshing water.  
  
The pool was getting crowded now. Tin-Tin, Scott, Virgil, Alan and Gordon occupied it's transparent depths and more water was splashing onto the tiles every second they were in it. Jeff moved his chair back so his loafers didn't get wet and Penelope did the same, worried about her vibrant pink high-heels.  
  
"How's Kyrano, Jeff?" Lady Penelope asked, having heard about what had happened before she had arrived.  
  
"He's doing just fine. Tin-Tin is making him take it easy for a few days, in case his wounds are more than skin deep, but otherwise he seems all right to me. Poor Kyrano's being held in his room against his will," Jeff answered, chuckling.  
  
A minute later, Parker crossed the bridge in his no-nonsense manner and placed a tray of cups on the table. Beside it, he put down the large pitcher of lemonade and the Tracy's jumped out of the pool to get a drink. Even in the radiant heat, Lady Penelope's butler wore his usual brown uniform, no matter how much the London agent protested how hot he must be in the outfit.  
  
When they finished their snack, Virgil went back to his painting and Tin- Tin pulled Alan back into the pool for a rousing game of water basketball. Scott was just stretching out on a lounger when a family of four - a mother, father and two teenage girls - came towards them. He casually kicked his father in the leg, cutting short Jeff and Penelope's intricate discussion about Thunderbird Two.  
  
The young girls eyed the Tracy's as Scott put on a pair of sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun's rays. Tin-Tin was giggling as the taller of the two began to look particularly interested in Alan. To silence her, he passed the beach ball quickly, giving her no choice but to pay more attention to it than the girls.  
  
Lady Penelope took a long sip of her lemonade, watching the newcomers from under the brim of her large straw hat. She turned her head as Virgil let out an anguished cry, which also caught the attention of the girls. He swiped angrily at the waves on his easel, trying to hide the drop of white paint he'd accidentally dropped in the middle of the sea.  
  
Fed up with it for the moment, he dove into the pool to cool down his frustration. Alan met him when he came up for air and promptly pushed him back under. The middle Tracy brother kicked furiously, surprised at Alan's strength. When he finally managed to get his head back to the surface, he shot daggers at the blond with his eyes.  
  
"Stop showing off, Alan. You're too old for those girls. And what about Tin- Tin?" Virgil hissed.  
  
Alan pushed him back under, his ears going a bright shade of red. Tin-Tin laughed and pulled Alan's hand off of Virgil's head so he could come up for oxygen. "Stop being so mean to your brother, Alan," she lectured jokingly. "He'll get you some day."  
  
"What's he gonna do? Hijack Thunderbird Three?"  
  
"Alan!" Tin-Tin cried, risking a look over her shoulder at the family as they opened one of the umbrellas on the tables. She stepped on his foot and Alan gasped. "What was that for?"  
  
"Zip your lips, Alan." Virgil instructed in a hoarse whisper. "Watch what you say."  
  
"Sorry." Alan looked at his girlfriend and brother sheepishly, having not meant to say anything about International Rescue in the presence of people that weren't whom he was vacationing with.  
  
Virgil pushed away from him and began floating on his back. His eyes were closed and stayed that way until a large splash beside him flipped him over on his stomach and he got an unwelcome gulp of pool water.  
  
The dark head that appeared beside him, complete with eyes shining with mischief, made Virgil groan. "Can't a guy get any peace around here?"  
  
"Not with them around," Tin-Tin answered, indicating Scott and Alan who were dueling for who got to go up the ladder first. Scott had traded his lounger in for the pool again and had purposely tried to jump in as close to Virgil as possible.  
  
"How did I get stuck with these kids? You two are so immature."  
  
"We heard that!"  
  
They abandoned their friendly fight and swam towards Virgil.  
  
"Ready, Alan?"  
  
"Ready, Scott."  
  
"Go!"  
  
Virgil got another surprise as two grown men threw themselves on top of him, forcing him back under the water. He managed to fill his lungs with air before they pushed him down and waited until they got tired of the lack of reaction before pushing himself back to the surface.  
  
"You're no fun, Virg." Scott complained good-naturedly.  
  
Virgil, fed up with their childish games, climbed out of the pool and headed for his paints. Nodding cheerfully to the family and then to the other Tracy's, he packed up his easel and walked back across the bridge to the hotel.  
  
"Whoa, who put the bee in his bonnet?" Alan wondered as he and Scott watched their brother leave the rest of the family behind.  
  
"He's worried. Hold on a second." Scott hoisted himself up onto the tiles and took off after his brother. "Virgil! Wait up!"  
  
Virgil stopped, balancing his tub of water in one hand and his easel and palette in the other. "What?"  
  
"What's up with you today?"  
  
"Nothing's up with me, Scott. I'm just cautious I guess. I don't know how you can go about having so much fun when it's plain someone around here wants us out of the hotel."  
  
"I shouldn't have said anything. I've ruined your vacation," Scott said solemnly.  
  
Virgil shook his head, small drops of water flying into the air from his hair. "You haven't ruined anything. Now is the perfect time to do some thinking and I plan to find out what exactly is going on here so we can enjoy ourselves."  
  
"But we are enjoying ourselves. Come on, Virg, loosen up a bit. We promise not to splash you if you come back in the pool."  
  
"No, Scott. I'm going to put this stuff away," he raised one arm, indicating his painting, "and try and find some quiet so I can puzzle this out. Okay?"  
  
"Are you mad?"  
  
Virgil looked surprised. "No, I'm not mad. What would make you think that?"  
  
"You left in such a hurry, I wasn't sure."  
  
A small smile appeared on Virgil's face. "No, I'm not mad," he repeated. "I'd just like some peace for a change, all right?"  
  
"All right." Scott headed back to Alan and Tin-Tin, who had persuaded Gordon to play Marco Polo with them.  
  
Virgil watched him go for a minute, and waited until loud calls of "Marco!" and "Polo!" sped across the cool air to his ears before going back to his room.  
  
+++  
  
A knock on his door startled Virgil, who was reading a book on the patio of his room. He put it down and walked back inside, pulling open the door when he reached it.  
  
"Master Tracy?"  
  
He looked at the little man before him and nodded slightly. "Can I help you?"  
  
"I have a request from the manager," the bellboy was timid and nervous, fidgeting more with every word he spoke. Virgil waited patiently for him to continue, curious about what the manager of the hotel would want him for. "He. . .he says we would like to hire you as a. . .a piano player in the lounge at supper for as long as you're here."  
  
Virgil raised his eyebrows in wonder. The man misread the expression for one of defiance and hastily continued, "He said he would pay your room bill if you were. . .were to comply to his request."  
  
He smiled. "Tell him I'd be glad to do it." Virgil shook the bellboy's hand and quickly read the name on his tag. "Thank you for finding me, Timothy. But make sure you tell your boss that I don't want him paying for any of my bills, is that clear?"  
  
The small man nodded and bowed his respects, then hurried back down the hall to resume his hotel duties. Virgil stared in awe at the door, the shock visible on his face. Snapping out of his daze, he chuckled and returned to his deck to read more of his book. 


	3. Chapter Three

Virgil stood overlooking the heated swimming pool of the hotel, his mind elsewhere. It was different from the one he and his brother's had been swimming in earlier that day and was usually occupied only by people who couldn't bare the unheated waters of the other one. He glanced down at a couple standing in the shallow end, discussing something with heated words. Feeling as if he were spying, he quickly raised his head and looked out at the ocean.  
  
He was pushed forward a few seconds later and the rail of the deck dug into his torso. A pair of strong, large hands rested on his back and forced his upper body forward until he was leaning dangerously off the edge. Virgil kicked out, but the man holding him in the position was too strong. He whipped his head around, trying desperately to see his attacker but with no such luck.  
  
The deck disappeared beneath him as Virgil began to fall headfirst towards the pool below. Instantly, his body took the form best to absorb most of the shock of hitting the ground as he had been taught so many years before. He closed his eyes, afraid he was about to meet his death, and was shocked into breathlessness when he hit the water.  
  
Virgil had been lucky to have only been on the second floor and the fall had been a great one, but not enough to kill a person if they fell in a substance such as the one he had. He gasped and forced himself to breathe as he reached the surface. Water dripped from his hair and ran down his tanned face, creased with the pain that coursed up his left side where he'd hit.  
  
A sound startled him and he turned around, treading water and still trying to get his bearings. The couple he'd seen were watching him in raw shock, wondering how he'd gotten there. He looked up and found his deck just in time to see a shadow disappear back inside. How the stranger had gotten into his room was another story, one Virgil didn't feel like thinking of just then. He heard his voice croak an excuse to the couple but he couldn't recall what he'd said.  
  
Virgil pulled himself out of the pool and sat on the edge, staring at nothing until he got his thoughts collected. He stood up, his slacks hanging limply and his pale shirt sticking to his skin. He felt his legs move but had no recollection of making them do so. They carried him in the main doors and back into his room in a daze. He was lucky his keycard was water resistant, as it had been in his pocket when he'd fallen. It was only when he'd changed out of his soaking clothes and put on fresh ones that Virgil's brain cleared and he could think normally.  
  
He inspected the door for forced entry, as he knew it automatically locked once closed. There was no lock, only a keycard sensor in which he and the hotel staff had a copy of. It hadn't been tampered with to the best of his knowledge so he closed the door and checked his carpet for footprints that might give him some clue of who his attacker could have been.  
  
Someone knocked on his door for the second time that day and Virgil grabbed the closest thing he could find to a weapon - his dress shoe with a heel harder than rock. He raised it above his head and opened the door cautiously, ready to bring the shoe down on his visitor if he were provoked.  
  
"What the. . .Virgil, what are you doing?" Scott yelled, seeing his brother about to club him with a shoe.  
  
Virgil put the shoe down shamefaced. "Sorry, Scott. I thought you were my attacker."  
  
"Your what?" He exclaimed.  
  
Virgil invited him in and told him the whole story. Muttered comments about hotel security and words of surprise left his brother's mouth as he recalled what had happened to him.  
  
"Are you all right?" Scott asked when he finished the tale. Concern shadowed his features as he looked at Virgil.  
  
Virgil nodded. "I'm fine." He saw Scott's searching look. "Really, I am." He assured him. "But you have to leave because I have to get ready for dinner."  
  
"Dinner? But we're not eating for another few hours."  
  
Virgil glanced over at him as he picked out a crisp white shirt from his suitcase, a hint of pride in his eyes. "I'm playing the piano tonight again. The hotel has asked me to for a few hours every night until we leave. I'll be done by seven, just in time to join you for supper."  
  
"That's great, Virg!" Scott clapped him on the back with a grin. He soon took on the worried expression once again. "Just make sure to watch your back, okay?"  
  
"Yes, dad," Virgil muttered sarcastically. He shook out the shirt and held it up, making sure there weren't any stains on it so he would look presentable while he played the piano. Scott was just about to leave his room when Virgil stopped him. "Hey, Scott?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Don't tell father what happened, okay?"  
  
"Where have I heard this conversation before?" Scott joked, remembering the one he'd had with his brother a few days earlier. He sighed. "Okay, I won't, but if this gets out of hand, I will. We can't be risking our safety without him knowing. You know he'd go crazy on us if he knew we were keeping something from him."  
  
Virgil agreed and put his shoes, now considered by Scott as potentially lethal weapons, beside his black suit-coat. Scott said his parting words and left Virgil to get ready.  
  
+++  
  
The single spotlight fell on the pianist as Scott entered the dining room. He watched Virgil for a minute before his watch began beeping insistently and he hurried outside into the slightly frigid night air to see what was going on. When he was sure no one was around, he opened the signal and saw John's face flicker in the small screen.  
  
"John? Is something wrong?"  
  
"Wrong?" The oldest Tracy brother after Scott shook his head and smiled. "No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to ask if Alan had started back yet. He's due up here in six hours and I'm raring to get back to Earth. I don't want to miss that costume party tomorrow." John's words struck Scott's ears as he remembered that there was a masquerade the next night.  
  
The transmission was lost for a minute and Scott shook his wrist out, wondering if John had disconnected or if it was just a fault in the system. Within a few more seconds, John's face appeared again, although rather blurry. The watch wasn't meant for long distance communication, such as the one happening now - Thunderbird 5, which was the monitoring station in space, to Scott on Earth.  
  
Scott held the watch up to his face. "Alan left earlier this afternoon with father. They should be eating dinner right about now, and then dad's bringing Brains back with him. Try getting them there."  
  
"I just did. I guess they're in the dining room and didn't hear me. Thanks, Scott."  
  
"See you tomorrow, John." He turned the watch off and slid soundlessly back into the dining room, glancing around at the silent people watching his brother play soulful songs on the piano.  
  
When Virgil finished and put his hands on his legs to allow himself a quick breath, Scott whistled loudly along with the polite clapping that followed the music. His brother raised his eyes and glared at him for making so much noise. Scott just whistled again in response.  
  
Tin-Tin appeared at his side. "When's Alan coming back?"  
  
"He just left, Tin-Tin."  
  
"I know that," she said, "But how long will he be up there?" She couldn't say the rest of her sentence, in Thunderbird 5, in case somebody overheard.  
  
"A week and a half. Dad let him cut it short this time because he didn't want to be away from you for so long," Scott answered, barely able to hide his amusement.  
  
Tin-Tin hit him on the arm and walked into the restaurant as Virgil began serenading the crowd with another song.  
  
+++  
  
The next morning, Gordon sat bolt upright in his bed when he heard the sound of footsteps in his room. He'd heard what had happened to Scott and Virgil and didn't want anything of the sort happening to him.  
  
His heart rate quickened as he saw a shadow fall in the doorway. It was oddly familiar, but he didn't want to take any chances. Instead, he pushed back the covers as quietly as he could and pressed his back against the wall, moving swiftly towards the door.  
  
The shadow's owner stepped into the room and saw Gordon. Both men let out matching shrieks of surprise and fell back.  
  
"Brains, what are you doing here?" Gordon cried, still feeling the effects of his suspiciousness. He took a deep breath to calm his heart.  
  
"I d-d-didn't mean t-to wake you b-b-but I n-needed t-t-toothpaste." The engineer blushed and held up his toothbrush.  
  
Gordon laughed. "You forgot to bring some?"  
  
Brains, who was usually prepared for everything, nodded bashfully.  
  
Gordon disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a tube of toothpaste and handed it to him. "Don't worry about returning it. I won't need it for some time." He yawned and then another question popped into his mind. "How did you get in here anyway?"  
  
"T-there's not many c-c-contraptions that can s-stop me." Brains said honestly, not a hint of smugness in his stuttered words, and Gordon knew he was talking about the sensor on the door that identified the keycard.  
  
"You could have knocked."  
  
"I d-d-didn't want t-to, er, wake y-you."  
  
"I'm glad you're here, Brains." Gordon said warmly. The scientist had almost become like a brother to him in the years he'd worked for International Rescue. He thought he detected the faintest hint of a smile on the man's face.  
  
"T-thank you, G-G-Gordon." He left as quietly as he had entered and Gordon waited a minute before opening the front door and checking the sensor to see if there were any visible signs of Brain's entry.  
  
There wasn't a scratch or spot to be found.  
  
+++  
  
John had traded spots with Alan late the night before and had traveled back to the mainland with Brains and his father sometime after midnight. The young space monitor looked around his room and breathed in the air. As much as he loved the tranquility of being all alone looking down on the planet, he didn't miss the buzz of the air filter that purified the oxygen in the cabin of Thunderbird 5.  
  
A knock came at the door and he opened it. Without even having time to see who his visitor was, John was pulled into a large bear hug and from the dark hair in his face could identify Scott as the man let his brother go.  
  
"Glad to see you too, Scott," John chuckled.  
  
"So do you have your costume for tonight?"  
  
John tried his best to look mysterious. "Maybe."  
  
"Care to tell me what it is?"  
  
"No, not really. You're going to have to wait just like everybody else. But I can promise you'll get a kick out of it."  
  
Realizing he was still in his pajamas, John bid Scott farewell and pushed him back out into the hallway and shut the door. He had forgotten about the costume party but luckily had remembered to pack his outfit before he left.  
  
Pulling it out of his suitcase, John grinned widely. He knew all of his brothers would love his original idea. 


	4. Chapter Four

Later that night, Virgil emerged from his room wearing a smock, freshly pressed brown pants with a huge patch of white he'd created by dumping his paint all over them and his painters cap. A paintbrush was tucked behind his ear and his palette, sparkling clean, was in one hand.  
  
"Nice, Virgil," Scott looked at him with satisfaction as his brother turned around at his voice.  
  
He looked Scott up and down, trying to decide what he was. The oldest Tracy boy was decked out in a three piece suit - black pants with matching jacket and a crisp white shirt, as well as black shoes that Virgil was sure you could see his reflection in. Scott fiddled with the bowtie around his neck, the final touch on the costume.  
  
"What are you?" Virgil finally asked, thoroughly puzzled.  
  
"You don't know?" Scott seemed taken aback and then grinned. He put on his serious face and looked squarely at Virgil. "Bond, James Bond." He drawled.  
  
Virgil laughed. "I don't see the resemblance."  
  
Scott made a move to hit him as two doors opened down the hall and Tin-Tin and John stepped out. Both made strangled sounds as they looked at each other's costumes.  
  
John was the first to speak. "I thought I was being original," he said.  
  
"So was I!" Tin-Tin answered, the amusement plain on her face. She looked down at her own blue clothes and the pale sash she wore from her shoulder to her waist and then up at John's similar outfit.  
  
"Where'd you get yours?" John asked her, eyeing the blue uniform of International Rescue. He wore his own, one he'd dug out of his closet before leaving Thunderbird 5.  
  
"Alan let me use it since he's doing his spell of satellite relief. No one ever sees me when we're on rescues, and I don't wear the uniform, so no one can recognize me."  
  
"I can say the same. I'm always a few miles above the Earth." He smiled at her. "So, miss International Rescue, shall we go find Scott and Virgil?"  
  
"No need to look for us," Scott choked out, trying his best to conceal his laughter.  
  
"Go ahead, laugh all you want," John said with fake sternness.  
  
"Thank. . .you." Scott began guffawing and had to hold onto Virgil for support. That didn't do him much good, as his brother looked just as unstable as him.  
  
John offered Tin-Tin his arm and the two strutted past the laughing men and made their way down the stairs with mock superiority. Seeing James Bond and a painter with white splotches all over his pants with tears of laughter running down their face made John and Tin-Tin hold in their own chuckles until they reached the bottom of the stairs and were out of earshot.  
  
After they'd had a good laugh, the two made their way to the dining room where the masquerade was going to be held. The tables had been pushed aside and wooden planks had been put down in front of the stage where a DJ's turntables were set up. People milled about in costumes of every size, shape and colour and John looked around in awe.  
  
They recognized a familiar face in the far corner, cowering away from the people. John pulled Tin-Tin towards Brains. The engineer's face lit up as he saw them, relief shining in his eyes behind the thick glasses he always wore.  
  
"Nice costume, Brains." John commented, taking in the wrinkled pants and long white overcoat over a stained blue shirt. He bit his lip in confusion. "What exactly. . .are you?"  
  
This brought a timid smile to Brain's features. "A st-st-stereotypical s- scientist," he answered, running a hand through his stuck up hair and rubbing a small dab of black substance off his glasses. He looked like he'd stuck his finger in an electrical socket.  
  
John was surprised at the amount of humor Brains possessed under his serious and smart exterior. It was the perfect costume for the engineer, and he fit the look perfectly. Although John was the same age as Brains at 25, he didn't know the man as well as his brothers because he was usually in space rather than on Tracy Island where Brains lived with the family.  
  
He snapped back to reality as he saw Brains admiring Tin-Tin's and his matching costumes. He was stammering something about why sashes were invented when John spotted his father entering the dining room. He excused himself and made his way through the crowd towards Jeff.  
  
His father was very pleased with John's costume. Jeff wasn't wearing one with the excuse that he had forgotten to bring it. Since they weren't mandatory at the party, a lot of the more mature people had decided against dressing up. John wasn't sure if they were like Jeff and had forgotten or if they thought that the Halloween theme was too childish for their liking. Either way, John was glad to see all his siblings and Tin-Tin had decided on costumes.  
  
Tin-Tin came over and greeted Jeff, then pulled John towards the dance floor as her favourite song came on. Every week it was something different, but he complied with her demands to dance without complaint, having been crammed in the space station for more than a month.  
  
"How'd your dad?" John asked as they twirled around with all the other couples moving to the music.  
  
"He's doing better. He wanted to come to the party but I told him to spend a bit more time healing."  
  
"Hasn't it been a few days? Don't you think you're being a bit hard on him?"  
  
Tin-Tin looked up at John. "Definitely not. Father's not as agile as he used to be, and I guess I just don't want to let him out of our room for fear that something else might happen to him. If Scott hadn't. . .hadn't. . ." She trailed off, her voice becoming choked up.  
  
"Don't worry, Tin-Tin. Nothing's going to happen to Kyrano as long as we're around." He answered, hoping he wasn't getting cabin fever being stuck in the hotel room he was sharing with his daughter.  
  
+++  
  
James Bond and Virgil the artist walked into the restaurant after finding Gordon and getting their laughter under control. The team's aquanaut had rolled himself in tin foil and claimed to be Grandma Tracy's leftovers. Virgil and Scott had been quick to point out that when Grandma cooked, there never were any leftovers.  
  
They found their dad and a table behind the dance floor. There was some trouble getting into their chairs because of the closeness between the tables but they managed and ordered some drinks from one of the traveling waiters.  
  
"Are you a satellite, Gordon?" Jeff asked once they were seated.  
  
Gordon looked down at his tin foil, which was rapidly beginning to unstick itself and fall apart. Then he glanced back up at his father. "No, I'm Grandma's leftovers."  
  
Jeff chuckled and shook his head. "So, for sons, I have James Bond, an artist, a pile of meatloaf and an International Rescue agent. What a great amount of creativity," He joked.  
  
The three grinned and peered at the people on the dance floor. Two matching blue uniforms caught Scott's eye and he pointed out John and Tin-Tin to the rest of the group. They had wondered where the two had gone.  
  
"Alan's gonna be jealous," Scott teased as they came to sit.  
  
John socked him gently in the side of the head before pulling out a chair for Tin-Tin and then one for himself.  
  
"Don't sit down, Tin-Tin. I want a go at those dancing feet of yours." Virgil stood and whisked Tin-Tin back out to the dance floor as a new song started.  
  
"Man, it's so hard having only one girl for all of us," said Gordon with synthetic sadness.  
  
"One girl who's not even ours to date," John reminded his brother.  
  
"Stupid Alan. He just had to claim her first, didn't he?"  
  
"Boys, boys, boys," Jeff laughed. "There're plenty of females around here. Why don't you go ask one of them to dance?"  
  
Gordon, Scott and John exchanged glances and then there was a scrape of chairs as the three jumped up and went in search of some girls. Jeff stared after them with a father's pride and went back to reading the menu.  
  
+++  
  
Two hours later Scott came back with a smile on his face. He joined Gordon and John at the table just as Virgil returned from the restroom and took his place beside Jeff.  
  
"Why so happy, Mr. Bond?" Virgil asked, playing absently with the paintbrush sticking out from behind his ear.  
  
"It's true." Scott replied vaguely as he sat down.  
  
"What's true?" Gordon prompted, waiting for an answer.  
  
"James Bond gets all the girls," Scott said, his smile widening. "I met the nicest Spiderwoman over at the bar."  
  
"Spiderwoman and James Bond? Perfect, two crime-fighters."  
  
"Be quiet, John." Scott's face smoothed into a daydreaming position and Virgil rolled his eyes.  
  
"So tell us what she's like then, son," Jeff prodded, snapping Scott out of his dream world.  
  
"She was really nice. And very interested in me. Actually, come to think of it, I know absolutely nothing about her." He admitted quietly.  
  
"How about her name?"  
  
Scott shook his head, a blush tinting his cheeks. "She dodged that question and I never thought to ask again."  
  
"What exactly did you tell her about yourself then?" John asked tentatively.  
  
"I told her what she asked. She seemed to already know a lot about me so I didn't have a lot to tell her."  
  
"She knew about you? You didn't. . ."  
  
"No, don't worry Virg. I didn't tell her anything about us or what we do." Scott scrunched his face up in confusion. "Now that I think about it, it seems like she was trying to get information." He vision clouded. "Darn, I think she was using me."  
  
"Using you? For what?"  
  
Anger replaced his soft expression. "She wanted me to tell her all about my life and of course I couldn't." He slammed his fist down on the table, jarring his glass of water.  
  
John had one more question that might solidify his suspicions. "Did she approach you or did you approach her?"  
  
"She came up to me."  
  
"And what did she say?"  
  
"She asked me if I was Scott Tracy." He looked up at his dad and brothers. "She knows who we are, and that we're on vacation. . .She knows who we are!" He repeated. Scott cursed quietly under his breath and rested his head in his hands. "I can't believe I fell for that."  
  
"But you didn't tell her anything, right?"  
  
"That's right. I know the rules, Dad, I wouldn't break them for some lady's sake unless I, as well as you all, trusted her."  
  
"Do you know what she looked like?"  
  
Scott shook his head in frustration. "She was dressed as a Spiderwoman, like I told you. She was wearing a full mask and everything."  
  
John patted Scott reassuringly on the shoulder. "As long as you didn't tell her anything, then we should be okay."  
  
"Just when I thought I met someone I'd like to get to know better, I end up realizing she was using me to get to us, and the whole organization." He sighed wearily and took a sip of his drink.  
  
While John was making Scott feel better, silent questions flew around the table like electricity, spoken with looks and not words. Jeff didn't know about what had happened to Virgil and Scott in the last few days, and the others didn't plan on telling him unless it was necessary.  
  
How much did this girl know, who was she working for, and did she have anything to do with the attacks on Virgil and Scott? 


	5. Chapter Five

Before I let you read this chapter, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed. Your guys' comments are worth their weight in gold to any writer and I'm so pleased you like it. I hope you'll continue giving feedback, because I've finished writing this story so there's no reason why I'd leave you hanging for more than a few days.  
  
Oh, one other thing. If you would go and see my friend Sam's Thunderbirds fanlisting and join it, it would really make her day. You don't have to have a website, you can even put the link in your bio on here if you want. The URL is http://darkblu.net/tb. Thanks so much from the both of us! :)  
  
Angelina  
  
********************  
  
The costume party was still in full swing well after midnight. The Tracy boys were fighting back yawns as they collapsed around the table after another round of dancing with Tin-Tin and Lady Penelope, who had appeared a few hours after the masquerade had started.  
  
Penelope adjusted the crown on her head, having come to the event dressed as the queen. None of the Tracy's doubted the authenticity of the tiara sitting on her perfectly manicured blonde hair. Parker hadn't shed his brown uniform for a costume but claimed he had planned to come as butler.  
  
Checking her watch, Lady Penelope waved to Parker, who was deep in conversation with one of the waiters about different types of tea. He was at her side before she could even stand up.  
  
"I think it's time to turn in, Parker." She said commandingly, a hint of tiredness edging her voice.  
  
"Yes, m'lady." He answered, assisting her with the grand coat she had propped on the back of her chair.  
  
Scott, Virgil and Gordon glanced around the table and noticed the two empty chairs beside their father.  
  
"Where's John and Tin-Tin?" Scott asked, glancing up to see if they were still on the dance floor.  
  
"John went up to his room after that last dance because he was still feeling his space legs," said Jeff with a smile. "And Tin-Tin went out for some fresh air at least twenty minutes ago."  
  
"Do you think she's okay?" Gordon wondered.  
  
"Maybe she went to check on Kyrano."  
  
"If she's smart, she'll be sleeping," said Virgil.  
  
"No one's keeping you here, Virgil," protested Jeff.  
  
He yawned. "I know, but I don't want to miss any of the action."  
  
"Action? What action? This party died half an hour ago."  
  
"So how come you're still here, Gordon?" Virgil snapped tiredly.  
  
Gordon glared at him across the table. "Because I'm like you. I don't want to go to bed early if I can help it."  
  
"You sound like a kid who's up past his bed time."  
  
"Shut up, Scott, I'm on vacation."  
  
"Hey you three, hush. You sound like bickering children." Jeff scolded lightly.  
  
They mumbled apologies and the boys minds returned to the predicament of Tin-Tin's location. "Where do you think Tin-Tin went?" Scott asked after a minute, folding and re-folding his napkin on the table.  
  
Gordon shrugged and leaned back in his chair, then sat straight up again. "You want us to go look for her, don't you?"  
  
"It might be a decent idea."  
  
"Then let's go or we won't hear the end of it from you."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Scott asked coldly.  
  
"Whatever you want. Come on, Virg." Gordon pushed back his chair and stood, waiting for his two brothers to do the same.  
  
They headed out into the cool night air. Morning air, Virgil told himself as he glanced at his watch under one of the bright hotel lights. Two thirty. Who in their right mind would be outside at this time of night?  
  
The three wandered around aimlessly until they were satisfied no one except them was outside the hotel. They checked every nook and cranny around the pools and on the deck of the restaurant, which was raised a few feet off the ground. Neither Tin-Tin nor John was anywhere to be seen.  
  
"Where do you think they could be?" Gordon asked.  
  
"The beach?" Virgil suggested after they checked both of their rooms with no answer.  
  
"Why would they be on the beach?"  
  
Gordon made kissing noises and Virgil shook his head. "We know Tin-Tin wouldn't do that to Alan, and we know John wouldn't do that to Alan either."  
  
"I know; it was just a suggestion." Gordon shrugged in defeat. "But we should check the lower beach anyway, don't you think?"  
  
"Sure, I guess. It's probably the only place we haven't looked on this whole property. It couldn't hurt," Scott said.  
  
The boys walked carefully down the slippery stairs to the sand. The shadows under the cliff were eerie looking and they could easily imagine anything from yellow monsters to the Hood jumping out from the crevices to attack them.  
  
"There's nobody down here, guys." Scott said after a moment of surveying the dark beach. "Only logs and stuff."  
  
"Where could they have got to, then?"  
  
"I don't know, Virg, but I hope they're all right. It's not like either of them to go anyplace without letting someone know." Gordon replied.  
  
"They'll turn up eventually. Let's hit the hay. I'm whipped." Scott started for the stairs and stumbled over a log. The next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the sand staring up into the amused faces of Gordon and Virgil. They pulled him to his feet and he kicked the log angrily. Scott hated being made to look like a fool.  
  
All three young men jumped back as the log moaned loudly. They stared at each other and then turned over what they had thought was a long chunk of wood washed up on the beach.  
  
Tin-Tin's face was an endless rainbow of bruises, one of her eyes swelled shut and the other closed. Her hair was matted against her head, filled with seawater, sand and grit. One leg of the International Rescue uniform she wore had a huge rip up the side, in which the boys could clearly make out welts forming on her skin beneath the material. Her blue shirt wasn't in much better condition.  
  
"Tin-Tin!" Scott, Gordon and Virgil cried in unison, shocked beyond words at the condition of their friend. "What happened?" Scott asked, brushing her hair back from her puffy eye.  
  
She groaned in response and opened her good eye to stare up at them. "I don't. . .don't remember," Tin-Tin said weakly, her cut lip cracking open again and blood spreading over her mouth and chin.  
  
Scott, who had the napkin from the table in his pocket, began gently wiping it up so she didn't choke on it, should it pass between her lips. It was the most blood he'd ever seen come from such a tiny cut. Once that was taken care of, he dabbed at the perspiration dotting Tin-Tin's forehead.  
  
She looked up at him with an expression he could vaguely read as grateful and he smiled encouragement. "Where's John?" Scott asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
"J-J-John. . ." Tin-Tin stammered. "John is. . ." She tried to sit up but her head throbbed painfully and she lay back down.  
  
"John is where?" Virgil asked softly.  
  
"John is. . ." Tin-Tin repeated, her mind spinning. She could barely remember anything that had happened in the last few hours. Scott helped her to sit up, hoping that would help clear her brain, and she gasped, thinking. "John is. . .there." She raised her arm as much as she could before one of the gashes began to hurt.  
  
Virgil and Gordon crawled across the sand to another form they had thought was a long, thin log. In the faint glow from Virgil's penlight, which he'd put in his smock when he'd changed into his costume, they identified the beaten up blond features of their brother. He was lying straight out on the sand, his uniform ripped to shreds, exposing marked flesh similar to Tin- Tin's.  
  
Virgil felt tears come to his eyes as he examined John's marred body with his penlight. Who would do such a thing? His older brother looked like he'd been to hell and back. He looked up at Gordon, who was holding John's head in his lap and brushing the hair back off his forehead, his attention on the large cut that ran from his eye to his chin and part way down his neck. He met Virgil's gaze and the middle Tracy brother was sure his own eyes must hold the same grief Gordon's did.  
  
"How is he?" Scott asked, coming up beside them. He held a passed out Tin- Tin carefully in his arms and glanced down at John.  
  
"He's not good. I can't get him to come around either." Gordon raised his head with a sigh. "He seems to be in a worse state than Tin-Tin, and she's pretty bad."  
  
The sound of ripping material startled them out of their conversation as they saw Virgil pull off half of John's pant leg and inspect a long gash that went from his knee to below the line of his sock.  
  
"What's that, Virg?"  
  
"Whoever went after them whipped them. And beat them," he added as an after thought, tracing a purple bruise with the end of his light. He saw small white welts on John's leg and leaned closer to peer at them. "What are these marks?"  
  
Gordon dropped John's head lightly back into the sand and came over to look. "I don't know. I haven't seen anything like that before." He looked over his shoulder at Scott. "Does Tin-Tin have them?"  
  
Scott, using as much of one hand as he could, pushed back the sleeve of Tin- Tin's blue shirt. Sure enough, identical marks were running in random places up and down her skin. He nodded to Gordon and put the arm back down. Only then did he notice the holes in what remained of her sleeve. They were right above where the welts on her flesh were. He pointed this out to Virgil.  
  
"It looks like they've been poked with something. It must have been sharp, to make holes like that."  
  
"What do you think happened?"  
  
"Well, simply poking wouldn't leave marks like those. Do you think they were burned?"  
  
"Burned?" Asked Gordon.  
  
Virgil nodded. "I mean, do you think the end of a poker, like one for a fireplace, was heated and then put to their skin to inflict pain?"  
  
Scott and Gordon looked at him in shock. They couldn't imagine anyone doing that to another human being, let alone their friend and brother.  
  
"It's just an idea." Virgil shrank back, afraid he may have angered them, and went back to inspecting some of John's worst cuts. After a moment, he turned his attention back to Gordon and Scott. "Will you help me carry him, Gordon? I doubt I can do it myself."  
  
His brother took John's arms as carefully as he could, bracing the older man against him as he made for the stairs. Virgil took his legs as they started their ascent, being careful not to slip on the damp wood.  
  
"I can't believe anyone would do this." Scott said, straining against Tin- Tin's weight as they continued their climb. She wasn't heavy to him, but there were a lot of stairs heading almost straight up.  
  
Virgil agreed grimly. "I can't either Scott."  
  
+++  
  
Virgil looked down at John, who was lying rigidly in the middle of his double bed. His room had been the closest and they'd brought the two victims inside, laying them down on Virgil's warm comforter, hoping they'd soon wake up. Tin-Tin, in a less solid position beside him, was as pale as milk, the only colour on her face the reds, purples, blues and blacks of her bruises.  
  
He sighed, his mind still refusing to believe someone would do something like they had to John and Tin-Tin. Virgil rubbed his aching head, throbbing dully from the start of a headache. It was after four in the morning and he hadn't gotten any sleep. Scott was out cold on his carpeted floor in such a deep slumber Virgil didn't think anything could wake him. Gordon was curled up in a ball in the overstuffed chair to his right and hadn't moved since falling asleep a little less than an hour ago.  
  
Not wanting to leave John and Tin-Tin alone in case they woke up but desperately needing something cool to soothe his parched throat, Virgil stood up on cramped legs and opened the door as quietly as possible. He stumbled down the hall, his fatigue finally hitting him like an avalanche. Coming to the drink machine beside the elevators, he fished in his pocket for some change and bought himself a tall bottle of water. Without waiting to get back to his room, he pulled off the top and gulped down as much as he could.  
  
He leaned against the wall and finished off the bottle with one more large swallow. Virgil threw it into the garbage basket and made his way back to his room.  
  
When he got there, he noticed Tin-Tin had changed her position and was now on her side. She opened her eye when he came in, her other one still swollen closed.  
  
"How are you doing?" Virgil whispered, crouching down beside her so they were face to face.  
  
"Okay," she whispered back. Tin-Tin let out a yawn and her lip cracked open again. Virgil ran into the bathroom and got a towel, then helped her apply pressure to the cut to keep it from bleeding. "Thank you," she murmured when it showed signs of stopping.  
  
"What happened to you?"  
  
"I met John in the. . .elevator," Tin-Tin began softly. Virgil leaned closer to hear her. "He was going to bed and I was too." She paused for a minute, speaking obviously being a strain to her tired body. "We got out. . .and someone jumped him." She shut her good eye, as if picturing the scene again in her mind. "I tried to help but they. . .got me and pulled me back."  
  
"How many were there?"  
  
"Th-three."  
  
"Did you see what they looked like?"  
  
"No. . .they were wearing masks. Ski masks, black ones." She answered.  
  
"And they took you down to the beach?" Virgil asked.  
  
"They took us. . .took us somewhere, but not to the beach. No, somewhere. . .else." Tin-Tin reached up painfully and pushed back some of her dirty black hair. Virgil immediately made her put her hand down and did it for her.  
  
"Where, Tin-Tin? Do you remember?"  
  
"To. . .to a shed. With paddles and life jackets. . .by the ocean. I could smell the salt."  
  
"And they beat you?"  
  
She nodded her head slightly.  
  
"What did they use?" Virgil knew he was putting a lot of pressure on her, considering her physical state, but he had to know if he wanted to do anything.  
  
"Whips. . .long whips," she shivered at the memory. Virgil took off his smock, which he had yet to change out of, and put it around her to keep her warm. "And they punched us. They hit John. They hit him. . .so hard," Tin- Tin whimpered quietly. "Pokers, with fire on the end. They burned us, Virgil. It hurt so much."  
  
"Shhh," He breathed. Virgil could see she was getting worked up over this. "Go back to sleep, okay?"  
  
She nodded faintly and closed her eye again, letting out a strangled sigh of tiredness. He watched her for a minute until he was satisfied she had drifted off, then resumed his post in the armchair near the end of the bed to watch for when she woke up again. 


	6. Chapter Six

Scott was the first of the three awake at just past six. Virgil had collapsed on the foot of the bed and slept in an uncomfortable heap. Scott forced himself up, remembering the events of the early morning and checked the two victims to make sure they were alive and breathing.  
  
John stirred as Scott propped him higher up on the pillows and opened his eyes slightly to look up at his brother. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Scott leaned down to hear him.  
  
"They wanted us dead," John muttered so quietly Scott's ears almost didn't pick it up. Before he could get more details, John's eyes closed and he fell back to sleep.  
  
Virgil shifted his weight and fell off the bed with a thump, jolting him awake. He rubbed his head, wondering how he'd ended up on the floor and used the comforter to pull himself to his feet, still weary from the little rest he had gotten. Scott, who would usually have found the stunt hilarious, was in no mood to laugh. He acknowledged Virgil's presence and left John's side to grab a shirt from Virgil's suitcase. He threw it at his brother, noticing his lack of clothes since he'd given his smock to Tin-Tin to keep her warm.  
  
Virgil nodded his thanks, not daring to speak in case he woke up Gordon, John or Tin-Tin and pulled the shirt over his head. Then he sat down on the bed and looked at their two patients, shock etched on his face. Even though he had been in a similar position for most of the morning hours, he still couldn't believe the state they were in.  
  
After a few minutes, he rose and stepped out of the room as quietly as possible, closing the door behind him with little more than a soft squeak. Scott wondered where he was going, but was soon preoccupied by Tin-Tin rolling dangerously close to the edge of the bed and tried to find a way to get her closer to John without awakening her.  
  
Virgil stood outside the hotel room and blinked a few times, getting used to the harsh light that flooded the hallway. He swallowed his tiredness and strode to Brains room, which was sandwiched between his and Gordon's. He didn't even have to knock before the door was pulled open and a perfectly awake looking engineer.  
  
"How do you do that?" Virgil yawned.  
  
"Do, er, what?" Brains asked.  
  
"Wake up so early and know I'm coming?"  
  
"T-T-The early b-bird gets the w-worm." He replied sensibly. "And I h-heard your s-shoes."  
  
Virgil dropped the subject and made himself focus on the matter at hand. "John and Tin-Tin were attacked last night, Brains. Do you have any of your magic potions that would help them out?"  
  
"T-They are n-not magic, er, potions, V-Virgil. T-They are chemical s-s- substances used for h-h-healing."  
  
He ignored the comment and continued. "Do you have any that would help whip marks, cuts, and burns?"  
  
Brains' eyes opened wide behind the thick lenses of his glasses. "W-Whip marks, cuts and b-b-burns?" He repeated.  
  
Virgil nodded.  
  
"L-Let me s-see what I h-h-have." Brains opened the door and Virgil stepped inside, looking around in awe at all the different bottles and equipment scattered throughout the room. To someone who wasn't used to seeing it, it might look like a mess, but he knew everything was set out in a logical order and to Brains this was neat and tidy.  
  
The engineer went through a bunch of bottles, reading the labels carefully. Finally, he returned to Virgil with a transparent blue liquid, marked "Bruise B-Gone" in Brains' precise handwriting.  
  
Virgil couldn't help but smile at the title. "Did you make this stuff?"  
  
"Y-yes. It s-s-should ease their p-pain and, er, fade the b-bruises."  
  
"Do you carry all this with you wherever you go?" He asked, indicating the materials spread around Brains room.  
  
Brains nodded. "It's n-n-not often t-that I g-g-go on v-vacation."  
  
"Thanks, Brains."  
  
"Y-You're welcome, V-V-Virgil."  
  
Just as he were about to close the door and head back to his room, Brains stopped him. He turned off the light and stepped out of the room, locking the door and following Virgil down the hall to inspect John and Tin-Tin himself.  
  
+++  
  
Jeff banged repeatedly on Gordon's door. He waited a minute, and when no reply came, moved across the hall to Scott's room. The door didn't open there either. The next room, the one next to his own, was John's. Getting discouraged, her raised his fist and dropped it against the polished wood, wondering where everyone had gone.  
  
Lady Penelope and Parker had left early that morning after the London agent had received a call that one of her royal friends was visiting near her home. She'd left him a note with her apologies and had disappeared even before he had woken up.  
  
Hearing the racket in the hall, a disheveled Scott stuck his head out of Virgil's room. He rubbed his eyes and ran a hand back through his tousled hair before yawning and greeting his father.  
  
"Where is everybody?"  
  
"In here." Scott replied tiredly. "Who are you looking for?"  
  
"Whoever I can find. What's going on?" Jeff asked.  
  
Scott's face turned hard as he looked at his dad. "John and Tin-Tin. . ."  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"Well, they're in a bad way."  
  
"What happened?" Jeff became concerned at Scott's slightly angry and worried tone. He crossed the corridor to stand behind his son and read the pain reflected in his eyes. "What happened?" He repeated quieter.  
  
"They were attacked. Last night, after they left." Scott answered in a monotone. "They - they're not in good condition." He swallowed hard before stepping back and admitting Jeff.  
  
Four pain struck heads turned toward him. Gordon and Virgil looked worn out and Jeff could almost see the wheels turning in Brains head. He didn't know what for, but the engineer looked like his mind was absent from the room. Kyrano was beside Tin-Tin, kneeling on the floor and clutching her hand, tears rolling like waterfalls down his cheeks. Jeff was taken aback at the sight of his son and Tin-Tin lying on the bed, two bodies painted with vibrant bruises and cuts.  
  
"Why?" Jeff breathed almost silently, his eyes fixed on the two attack victims.  
  
"We're not quite sure." Scott put a reassuring hand on his father's arm. "They were hurt in basically every way possible - whipped, hit, punched, burned." He said, his voice wavering and beginning to feel choked as he explained. "And then dropped on the beach by their attackers to wait for high tide when the sea would take them away." His words faded out.  
  
"They were left for dead?" Jeff asked, hardly believing his ears.  
  
Scott nodded, his heart beating rapidly at the thought of what would have happened if he, Gordon and Virgil hadn't found them when they did.  
  
Jeff looked around at his sons, his mouth forming a hard line. "This isn't the first thing to happen, is it?" He questioned, seeing what resembled guilt in their expressions.  
  
The three Tracy boys shook their heads and looked at the carpet, feeling ashamed at not telling their father what had happened already. If they had, maybe he would have made them go back home and John and Tin-Tin wouldn't have been preyed upon by whoever was going after International Rescue.  
  
He walked over to Gordon and Virgil, who were sitting on the couch they'd moved into the bedroom so they could keep an eye on their patients. Virgil, who was perched on the arm of it, raised his head as he advanced. "Tell me, Virgil," Jeff said, his voice gentle yet commanding.  
  
"Scott was pushed down the stairs."  
  
"And?"  
  
Virgil wasn't surprised his father knew more had occurred. They could never keep anything from him. "And I. . .I fell off my deck into the pool."  
  
Jeff looked out the window, lost in thought. "Two floors?" He asked.  
  
Virgil nodded reluctantly and played with the upholstery on the couch with his fingers, afraid to meet his father's gaze. He felt horrible for swearing Scott to secrecy, and being sworn by Scott to do the same. It was partly his fault Tin-Tin and John were hurt and he couldn't shake the culpable feelings that took over his mind.  
  
"Why wasn't I informed?"  
  
"We didn't want to worry you. We're on vacation." Gordon answered for his brother, who had lost all colour to his face.  
  
"You're worth more than my holiday." Jeff replied, still staring out the window at the light blue hues of the sky. Gordon could hear him sigh quietly. "But I understand."  
  
"You do?" Gordon was surprised at the answer, unsure of what was going through his father's head.  
  
"Yes. You wanted to get to the bottom of this, you didn't want me to take you home since you aren't often on vacation and you didn't want whoever is trying to chase us out of the hotel to win."  
  
Virgil, Scott and Gordon exchanged glances. Jeff Tracy wasn't a predictable man, but he didn't usually go around catching his sons off guard.  
  
"Isn't that right?" Jeff asked after a moment of silence.  
  
All three nodded as he turned back around and looked at them.  
  
"From now on, you all must tell me everything that happens." He searched their faces for any trace of defiance but they agreed. "And I want to know anything you find out about the person behind this. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, father." They answered in one voice.  
  
Jeff's next sentence was cut off as John let out a hoarse moan, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling. His chest lifted and fell repeatedly as he drew in each strained breath, every inch of his body feeling bruised and beaten. The others had fallen still at his awakening, and even Kyrano's tears had halted.  
  
"John," Jeff began. He cleared his throat, finding his voice thick with emotion. He didn't continue - he didn't have anything else to say.  
  
"Father," John croaked. Scott rushed to his side and helped him sit up so he could see him better. "Oh, my head. . ." He groaned, shutting his eyes against the splitting pain coursing behind his temples. John steadied himself and looked down at his battered uniform. He could see three quarters of each leg, most of his stomach and all of his arms since the sleeves had been pulled off in the struggle against his attackers.  
  
"John, you should change. And put some of this on." Scott picked up the 'Bruise B-Gone' Virgil had left on the dresser.  
  
His brother nodded and Scott helped him up off the bed. Virgil handed him a pair of his pants and a loose fitting t-shirt and the two ushered John into the bathroom to fix himself up.  
  
They waited uncomfortably, hearing John's muttered words of pain as he spread the 'Bruise B-Gone' on his cuts and welts. Virgil looked at the door, remembering Brains had warned him it might sting when applied to the sore areas. The engineer was still barely there, sitting cross-legged on the floor and leaning against the couch. As Virgil moved his eyes to him, Brains jumped up and hurried out the door. He looked at Gordon, wondering what had gotten into him.  
  
John opened the door of the bathroom and leaned against the frame, panting with the effort changing and applying Brain's concoction had caused him. He took a few timid steps back to the bed, looking lost in Virgil's shirt. John's lithe form didn't fill it out the way his brother's broad shoulders did.  
  
Scott caught him as he fell. With help from Gordon, he put John back on the bed and looked on as he passed out before their eyes.  
  
Jeff watched the scene silently, worried not only for John and Tin-Tin, but also for his other sons. Now that something had happened to Scott, John and Virgil, it only left Gordon. He wondered if he would become the next martyr in the horrible games the felon was playing with the boys of International Rescue. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Two days later, Jeff stepped into the phone box down the street from the hotel. He'd given his sons some money and had forced them to leave John and Tin-Tin alone. They were recovering steadily, much in part to three different medicines Brains had whipped up, and he'd even seen John watching Virgil and Scott play tennis from his balcony earlier that morning.  
  
After ushering Virgil, Scott and Gordon into a diner on the main road of the small town they were vacationing in, Jeff had left them to find a private place so he could radio through to Alan in Thunderbird 5 without drawing suspicion. The boys had wanted to follow him, but he'd given them strict orders to stay where they were.  
  
He pressed insistently on the call button on his watch, trying to get through to his youngest son. "International Rescue from Jeff Tracy." He said, watching the screen flash gray and then fade to black. Getting fed up with his watch, which was refusing to connect his signal to Thunderbird 5, Jeff tried once again. "Alan Tracy from Jeff Tracy. Alan, can you hear me?"  
  
The screen flickered brightly and a warped picture of Alan appeared inside its limits. He sighed with relief as it straightened itself out. "How's it going up there, Alan?"  
  
"Fine, father. No emergency calls have come in as of yet. I think you should be fine for the rest of your vacation."  
  
As fine as we can be, thought Jeff. "That's great news."  
  
"How is everyone down there?" Alan asked, the picture disappearing and then coming back repeatedly until Jeff hit his watch on the side of the telephone box. Brains had made them to withstand just about everything, but sometimes the equipment wouldn't transfer signals from space to Earth.  
  
"Good," Jeff hesitated slightly, wondering if he should worry Alan with the events that had occurred over the last few days.  
  
"Just good? What's wrong, dad?"  
  
"John and Tin-Tin had a bit of an accident." Jeff could see the immediate change in expression on Alan's face as he mentioned his girlfriend's name.  
  
"Are they all right? Tin-Tin. . .is she okay?"  
  
"Yes, she's fine. I'll give you the details later, Alan. I can't talk here, and we're losing contact."  
  
"I understand." Alan bit his lip and looked into the monitor above the control panel of Thunderbird 5. "Are you sure she's okay?"  
  
"I'm sure." Jeff reassured him. "We'll see you back on the island in a week's time. Don't worry, Alan. We have everything under control. Both Tin- Tin and John are recovering quickly."  
  
Alan sighed with relief. "That's good to hear. Thanks for letting me know."  
  
Jeff smiled at his son and, with a quick goodbye, closed the signal as someone rapped on the phone box door. He stepped outside and they chewed him out for using the booth without using the phone. He ignored them and headed back to the diner.  
  
When he reached it, it didn't take him long to find the table Scott, Virgil and John had claimed as their own. He could hear their voices long before he saw them and grinned at the joking argument Virgil and Scott had immersed themselves in.  
  
"I want a rematch," Virgil was saying as Jeff took his seat beside him.  
  
"I'm not playing you again. I won fair and square. You're just mad because you lost." Scott retorted.  
  
"What are they talking about?" Jeff leaned across the table towards Gordon as the two continued to bicker.  
  
"The tennis game this morning. Scott beat Virgil by only a few points and Virg wants to play him again."  
  
"But Scott's worried Virg would win." Jeff finished, looking at his oldest son.  
  
"That's not true! You know I would beat him again if we played." Scott protested.  
  
"So play me then." Virgil answered smugly. "Or are you afraid?" He began making chicken noises between chuckles.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you that you don't act 24?"  
  
"Has anyone ever told you that you don't act 26?" Virgil shot back.  
  
Scott lunged across the table at his younger brother and Gordon grabbed him just before he knocked Virgil's tall glass of water onto his lap.  
  
"Settle down, boys. Tonight you can play another game and settle this fight." Jeff told them.  
  
Virgil grinned at Scott, knowing he wouldn't go against their father. Scott glared at him, trying hard not to break out into laughter as their food came. Virgil finally cracked, welcoming Scott to join him, and Jeff and Gordon looked at each other as the two laughed like hyenas at their childish fight.  
  
+++  
  
That night, Virgil sat down at the piano in the restaurant and looked out over the audience. John and Tin-Tin had joined Jeff, Gordon, Scott, Brains and Kyrano at a table near the front so they could watch him as he played. Butterflies stirred in his stomach but he fought them down and placed his hands on the keys.  
  
Ten minutes and two songs later, Virgil paused for a breath, the ring of polite applause pounding in his ears. He couldn't help but smile as he saw John, looking at him proudly from his seat, clapping just as hard as the rest. It was evident he was getting better, and the bruises had faded to pale splotches. The welts had scabbed over, leaving bumps in their place and the whip marks were little more than scars, thanks to Brains' home remedies.  
  
Virgil was three quarters through the next song when he heard a ticking sound. He didn't know what it was, so he ignored it. During the song after that, however, it got louder and more persistent. He tried to block it out, but it drummed in his brain. Virgil dared to raise his head and look around, realizing he seemed to be the only one who heard it.  
  
As he launched into the last song he was planning to play, something snapped. He heard it before he felt it and seconds later, was propelled off the polished bench. Virgil flew through the air and crashed into one of the dining tables. Glass shattered around him and people shrieked as the piano exploded, wooden splinters shooting in every direction. Flames hurled themselves at the diners and licked at the wallpaper behind what had been the piano. He stared at it as the table he had landed on slid sideways, sending him toppling onto the ground. It fell on top of him and he used it as a shield from the bright fire as his eyes roamed the room for his family.  
  
Scott had a terrified Tin-Tin in his arms, John was on the floor having been pushed backwards by the blast, and the others were helping people up on either side. Gordon was looking around desperately for Virgil, wondering what had happened to him.  
  
Virgil made his way towards them, tripping over fallen chairs and fallen people, and being careful not to step on the broken glass. He grabbed Scott and pointed at the door, afraid there might be more explosives in the piano. Scott picked up Tin-Tin, who was too stunned to move, and hauled her out of the restaurant while Virgil helped the others get organized.  
  
Another shuddering bang made everyone dive for cover. Virgil and Gordon knocked heads as they threw themselves to the floor and John fell on top of them. Raising his eyes, Virgil saw that the piano bench, exactly where he had been sitting, had flared up in it's own fire, an explosive hidden inside the compartment used for music books.  
  
Jeff, having jumped into command, yelled orders at his sons as Kyrano and Brains fled the room. Virgil stood and pulled Gordon and John up beside him as Scott came back to help.  
  
Together, they made sure everyone was all right and escorted them hastily out of the dining room. Anyone who protested evacuating was thrown over their shoulders and taken outside, despite their angry words to the Tracy brothers. John, limping around on the crutch they'd bought him in town that day so he wouldn't be so immobile, led a group of kids into the cold night air and made them stay put until he found their parents. Virgil and Scott assisted two elderly couples while Gordon and Jeff tried to keep curious onlookers away from the fire.  
  
Virgil yelled at Jeff as he saw the stage begin to pulse. His father looked over his shoulder and pulled Gordon to the ground just as the bottom panel blew out with a roaring crash. It sent Virgil into the large glass window, which shattered under his weight. He landed on his back on the patio, feeling broken glass poking into his skin through his shirt. He lay there, trying to get his breath back, before standing up and jumping back inside, catching his leg on the shards stuck in the window frame.  
  
John hobbled toward him to make sure he was okay and commented worriedly on the trail of blood flowing down his brother's back under his t-shirt. Virgil shooed him away and used the broken window as another escape route, ordering people to get out as fast as possible as the fire began to consume more than half of the dining room.  
  
Scott showed up with a fire extinguisher and aimed it at the base of the main blaze, the one that had grown from the exploding of the piano. He released the white foam and a loud whooshing sound took over the crackle of flames as it sprayed the sparks that threatened to ignite the rest of the restaurant.  
  
By now, smoke filled the dining room and the people they hadn't managed to get out were coughing and lying on the floor, trying to keep away from the heat and dirty air. Virgil and Gordon towed more people out of the room while Jeff found another fire extinguisher and helped Scott try to control the rapidly spreading fire.  
  
John was nowhere to be seen. Virgil, leading a mother and her twin sons out of the room, dared look around the corner at the crowd of people trying to see what was going on. His older brother was waving his crutch around and creating a barrier between the open doors and the curious people. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the look of his beaten-up sibling threatening the spectators to stay back while moving the crutch through the air like a madman.  
  
Scott barreled into him as he ran out of the restaurant. "Everyone's out!" He yelled to John and Virgil as Jeff and Gordon emerged from the doors, covered in soot and choking on the smoky air. People around them cheered at the news that no one had been hurt and that the fire department was on their way.  
  
Gordon kicked the doors shut, trying to keep the spreading fire at bay, and collapsed on his knees in a coughing fit. With every gasp his back ached, reminding him of the boating accident that had almost taken his life. He continued to cough as Scott helped him to his feet.  
  
The Tracy's hurried upstairs before the fire fighters showed up and crowded into Brains' room, where he, Tin-Tin and Kyrano had gathered. They asked what had happened anxiously while the men took seats around the room - Scott, Virgil and Gordon on the bed, John on the sofa after moving aside some cables from Brain's equipment and Jeff leaning against the wall.  
  
"No casualties?" Tin-Tin wondered when they finished telling the story.  
  
"Nope, none at all." Scott answered gladly. He wiped at the sweat on his forehead and sighed.  
  
"Are we all right to go to sleep, do you think? They won't want to talk to you, will they?" She asked.  
  
"I think we're all right for tonight. We should get some rest. It's been a long day," replied Jeff.  
  
The boys agreed and said their farewells, heading back to their respectful rooms. Kyrano helped a stressed and still pained Tin-Tin back to their room while Jeff walked down the hall to his. There was no one on the floor expect them - everyone was downstairs near the action. It didn't matter that they yelled goodnights to each other before closing their doors.  
  
+++  
  
The next morning, Virgil woke up in a puddle of blood. He threw off the covers and looked down at his red sheets, racking his brain as to how it had gotten there. The night before, he had been so tired he hadn't bothered to change his clothes. Now he ripped off his shirt and inspected the deep gash in his back caused by a large chunk of broken glass. He'd landed on its point and it had dug into his skin, ripping a hole in his t-shirt.  
  
Virgil took the sheets off the bed and put them in a pile on the floor before trying to get the blood off his back using the bathroom mirror. He winced as the water he was cleaning it with flowed into the cut. After that, he found a long, thick piece of bandage in his first aid kit and wrapped it around his midsection, putting enough pressure on the gaping flesh to halt it's bleeding.  
  
He found a clean shirt and threw it over his head before calling the front desk to send someone up to take his dirty sheets. After he'd remade the bed with fresh ones supplied by the maid, Virgil gingerly lay down on his side and fell back into a restless sleep.  
  
Next door, Scott opened his eyes to a muffled pounding. He raised his head and looked around the room, trying to find the source of the sound. His ears told him it was coming from the tiny living room and he grabbed a pair of scissors from his shaving kit as a weapon, in case someone had broken in. The sight that awaited him made him drop the scissors and open his mouth in shock.  
  
Gordon sat on his couch, bound, blindfolded and gagged. LEAVE was written in bold black letters on his forehead. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Hey you all! First off, I want to thank everyone who's reading and has reviewed - your comments mean so much! I love hearing what you think. This story is, if you can believe it, nearly finished. . .only a few chapters left to put up here (there's 10 in total, the last being an epilogue of sorts). But, don't be disappointed if you're looking to read more stuff written by me (I'm flattered if you do!) - I've started on a sequel! Well, it can be read on it's own, but it happens after these events and contains reminders of what's happened in Holiday of Disaster. As soon as I have finished posting this story, the next one will be added. I have many more ideas for other Thunderbirds fanfics, so I definitely hope you'll keep reading and reviewing!  
  
Also, I am going to start a blog/site for Thunderbirds fanfiction writers and readers. If you are interested in being a part of it, please email me (angel@crimson-love.net) with your name, fanfiction.net user number if you have one, and anything else you think I should know. I am working on it right now and it will hopefully be up next week. Hope to see you as a part of it!  
  
Angelina  
  
**************  
  
Scott pulled the blindfold off his thrashing brother and yanked the cloth, used as a gag, out of his mouth. He found his pocketknife and began hacking away at the coarse rope used to hold his hands and feet together.  
  
"What happened?" Scott asked as he worked.  
  
Gordon licked his lips and swallowed, trying to find his voice. "I don't really remember. One minute I was sleeping, the next I was hit on the head with a flower vase, and I woke up in your room. You heard me kicking the table, I guess, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I heard you." He freed his wrists and Gordon rubbed them thankfully, eyeing the red marks on his skin. Scott sat down on the floor and began working on his ankles. "So they knocked you out, tied you up, broke into my room and put you here?"  
  
"That sounds about right."  
  
"I really wish we could get to the bottom of this and find out who wants us out of here so badly. We're lucky nothing worse happened to you." Scott's knife sliced through the rope one last time and he unwound it from Gordon's legs. "There you go."  
  
"Thanks, Scott. I'm glad nothing worse happened to me too." Gordon looked up and got a glimpse of his reflection in the long mirror on the wall. He rubbed at his forehead, but the ink wouldn't even smudge.  
  
"You stay there. I'll see if I can find anything that will take that off." Scott left the room and returned a few minutes later with a bottle full of clear liquid.  
  
"What's this?" Gordon asked, taking it from him.  
  
"One of Brain's miracle jobs. He says it will remove even permanent ink."  
  
"What would we do without that man?" Gordon smiled ruefully and used the couch to pull himself to his feet, feeling his stiff legs wobble underneath him. He steadied himself and then entered the bathroom to get some tissue to wipe the ink off his head.  
  
Meanwhile, Scott went back to his bedroom and changed into some fresh clothes. By the time he was done changing, Gordon had successfully removed the writing above his eyes and was leaning against the wall waiting for him.  
  
"Breakfast?" He invited simply.  
  
"I thought you'd never ask." Scott grinned at him and Gordon led the way out of the hotel room.  
  
+++  
  
Later that afternoon, everyone crowded into Jeff's large hotel room and told the events of the morning. Virgil shared his bloody story with a laugh and the mood turned serious while Gordon and Scott recalled what had happened in Scott's room.  
  
"I'm glad you told me, boys. I can see you're taking this seriously." Jeff commented when they were through.  
  
"We've taken all this seriously, father. But even more so after what happened to John and Tin-Tin." Virgil looked over at them to emphasize his point.  
  
"Thanks to Brains, we're doing better." Tin-Tin piped up, smiling at the engineer.  
  
"And because of him, I don't have words on my head." Gordon added.  
  
Brains looked at them shyly. He hated drawing attention to himself. "I-I'm glad I c-c-could help."  
  
"I think finding him was one of the things I ever did."  
  
Simultaneously, John, Virgil, Scott and Gordon crossed their arms. "How about having five sons?" Scott asked his father teasingly.  
  
"No, that. . .now that was a mistake." Jeff answered. Four couch pillows hit him in the head. He put his hands up in surrender and laughed, pleased that even with all that was happening to them, he and his sons could still enjoy their vacation.  
  
Kyrano entered and joined John and his daughter on the couch. He had a worried air about him and the Tracy's hoped it was just because of what had happened to Tin-Tin. She looked around, suddenly feeling surrounded by a different species as they joked. For what must have been the thousandth time, Tin-Tin wished Jeff and his wife had had a daughter before she had died. At least then she would have had someone to talk to, someone who wasn't Alan or one of the other males buzzing around the Tracy home. She shook her head as they bantered, feeling guilty at the thought. She was privileged to be living with her father and a wonderful group of men that would easily put their life on the line for her own.  
  
"If no one objects, I think I'm going to go for a walk." Tin-Tin stood up and waited to see if she got a reply.  
  
"Go ahead, Tin-Tin. We won't keep you." John said as he raised his crutch towards Scott, who was getting dangerously close with a pillow from the bed.  
  
She nodded her thanks and left, heading back to her own room. Tin-Tin breathed a sigh of relief at the peace and quiet that welcomed her as she stepped through the door. Shutting it behind her, she moved into the bedroom to find her sweater since the breeze coming through the window held the scent of rain.  
  
Just as she was about to leave, Tin-Tin heard a rustling sound in the bathroom. Curious, she walked silently toward the door and listened for more noises. It sounded to her as if someone was inside, and the soft murmur of a muttered curse confirmed her guess. In one swift movement, she kicked open the door, her heart beating furiously at the thought of what she might find on the other side.  
  
The figure crouched beside the small shower stall spun around, surprise evident on his harsh features. He was about her height, sturdily built and had a violent tinge to his coal black eyes. Tin-Tin fought to keep her gaze steady as she glared at him. "What are you doing?" She asked in a slow growl, surprised at how calm she sounded.  
  
Without answering, the man lunged for her. Tin-Tin ducked just in time and threw her weight backwards so he slammed into the wall behind her. She turned and raised her leg, every muscle smarting in protest. She ignored the pain that clouded her vision and placed the toe of her leather boot against the man's throat, pressing slightly to begin with and harder as he squirmed, trying to get away.  
  
"Who do you work for?" She hissed, putting more pressure on the base of his neck and digging the heel of her boot into his right shoulder blade.  
  
The man gasped and fought against her hold but Tin-Tin only pushed harder in response. She repeated her question and waited for him to answer.  
  
"N. . .no. . ." The man screeched hoarsely, feeling her foot beginning to cut off his oxygen.  
  
"Who do you work for?" Tin-Tin tried again, her voice a low rumble that expressed exactly what she thought of this man.  
  
The intruder seemed to realize she meant business and stopped fighting against her shoe. "T-t-the. . .H-H-Hood. . ." He stammered.  
  
Tin-Tin released his throat but grabbed him and pulled him away from the wall before he could catch his breath. She held his hands behind his back and pushed him forward. "Walk," She commanded, pointing him at the door.  
  
The man stumbled in the direction she wanted him to go, and with more than a bit of a struggle, she managed to steer him out of her hotel room. Then, seeing as he was trying harder now to get away, she kicked him in the back of the shin and yelled the first name that came to her mind. "Scott!"  
  
The oldest Tracy brother stuck his head out of his father's room. His dark hair promptly became the victim of a pillow Gordon was holding but he put a stop to it as soon as he saw Tin-Tin fighting a man he didn't recognize. He hurried down the hall towards her and helped her hold on.  
  
"Easy, easy," Scott mumbled more to himself than to the man in Tin-Tin's grasp. He took Tin-Tin's position and locked his fingers around his wrists while she pushed him to his knees.  
  
"Hold onto him while I call the police. He works for the Hood." She sprinted into her room, the door still ajar, and dialed the local police station. Then she returned to Scott's side and wasn't surprised to see the commanding man had made the intruder fall silent.  
  
"Are they coming?" Scott asked.  
  
Tin-Tin nodded. "They're on their way. Can we get him downstairs, do you think?"  
  
He gave her a wry smile. "Of course." He kneed the man in the back. "Get up." Scott said in a low voice. He did as he said as Tin-Tin watched in amazement.  
  
"How do you do that?" She asked incredulously as they forced the man into the elevator and held him still for the ride to the main floor.  
  
"It's a gift," Scott grunted, a slightly sarcastic edge to his voice. The man had purposely pinned him against the elevator wall and he was trying to get out without showing their prisoner that he was winning in holding him there.  
  
By now, the rest of the Tracy's, Kyrano and Brains had run down the stairs to the lobby to await the police. Gordon, who had been watching the scene from Jeff's hotel room, had informed them of what had happened and had seen Tin-Tin and Scott shove the mysterious man into the elevator. He would have rushed forward to help, but it looked to him like Scott had everything under control - he'd only get in the way.  
  
Jeff fidgeted nervously until he heard the ping announcing the arrival of the elevator. They all stood expectantly, waiting for Scott, Tin-Tin and the mysterious man to emerge from the opening doors.  
  
Two uniformed policemen who had appeared out of thin air greeted them immediately as they stepped out. The officers snapped handcuffs onto the man's wrists and only then did Tin-Tin and Scott loosen their hold on him. He swore angrily at them and spit curses in their faces but his two captors held their ground and didn't even give him so much as a look of disgust.  
  
The policemen towed him away and the group followed them out into the sunlight. "Didn't John say there were three people?" Virgil whispered to Gordon.  
  
"I think so. Where are the other two?"  
  
"Good question," John said, overhearing their conversation. "If we've timed this right, one of them is probably watching. What did that girl Scott chatted up look like?"  
  
"We don't know. She was wearing a costume," Gordon reminded him softly.  
  
"Oh, that's right." John raised his head and looked around casually. His eyes wavered over every female in the lobby, all of them watching what was unfolding involving the police outside the hotel.  
  
Scott came up to them, having bid the cops goodbye and gladly handing the Hood's henchman over to him. Tin-Tin followed close behind, looking more worn out than he did. She looked at John and then followed his gaze, landing on a dark haired woman in the corner.  
  
"What are you looking at?" She asked under her breath.  
  
"That woman over there. Why does she look familiar, Tin-Tin?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe we've seen her around the hotel."  
  
John shook his head slightly, not tearing his eyes from her. "Put a long, black whip in her hand. Now tell me where you've seen her."  
  
Tin-Tin did a double take and her breath caught in her throat as she imagined the woman as John suggested. It was true; she had been the one who had controlled the whip that slapped their skin the night she and him had been attacked. She numbly tugged on Virgil's shirt and nodded her head towards John and the woman. "That's one of his accomplices, Virg." She said in an undertone.  
  
The woman saw all three of them staring at her and slithered into the crowd of people like smoke into the air. Tin-Tin tried to follow her with her eyes, but it was no use.  
  
She only managed to spot her again when Virgil and Scott tackled the woman to the ground a few seconds later. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Gordon stopped the police before they left and then went back inside to see what was happening. Virgil and Scott had pinned the woman to the thinly carpeted floor despite her wiggling and screamed insults. 

"So, Spiderwoman, feel like stopping some crime today?" Scott grumbled into her ear as he folded her hands behind her back to keep her from escaping. He had recognized the ocean-blue eyes the minute he saw them from across the room.

"Get off me, Tracy. I'll have you sued for harassment!" She screeched.

"I'll have you locked up for attempted murder," Virgil retorted, trying to hold her flailing legs still.

This shut the woman up and she stopped trying to kick Virgil in the face. The boys held her tightly until the cops came and picked her form up off the ground. She glared at the brothers as they locked her in similar handcuffs to her associate.

Before the police could take her away, Scott suddenly jumped in front of them, bringing them to a stop. "Can I look in her purse?"

"Her purse?" The male officer seemed surprised. "I suppose so. What do you intend to find in there?"

"A key, to her hotel room. There's one other person involved in this and we've yet to find him." Scott reached for her bag and managed to open it, ignoring her shrill protests. He dug around for a second before pulling out a keycard, exactly what he had guessed he would find. He thanked the officers, pocketed the card and watched them lead her outside.

Virgil and Scott pushed their way through the crowd that had gathered, awed whispers floating around them. With a quick word to their families, they took off up the stairs to try and locate the hotel room the woman was staying in.

"The card's blank, Scott. How do you plan on finding the exact room it will open? There must be hundreds in this hotel!" Virgil said as they walked down the hall on their floor.

"I'm guessing we won't have to look far. They were probably on the same floor as us, so they could watch every move we made and plan their attacks." Scott answered, taking the card from his pocket and fitting it into the first door they came to after their father's room.

The card slid in and the light above the slot went red. It wasn't the room they were looking for. They continued down the hall until they reached the last door on the left. Virgil was becoming impatient and wanted to just go downstairs and get the hotel to scan the card and find out what room it belonged to.

"Aha!" Scott grinned triumphantly as the light turned green and the door swung open. 

They walked inside cautiously, wondering what awaited them on the other side. Virgil and Scott weren't sure where the Hood was hiding out, and if he were in the room, it could mean a deadly fate for the both of them.

Scott crept towards the wall and turned on the light, bathing the living room they had entered in a dim glow. Nothing was out of place as far as he could tell – there was no suitcase, no trace whatsoever of any human life. The brothers went into the bedroom and found a similar scene. It looked like no one had set foot in the room for days and they knew the maids had cleaned it recently because the smell of air freshener hung in the air.

"Now what?" Virgil asked, looking around.

"I think we've hit a dead end. But why would she have this card if she wasn't staying in this room?" Scott wondered.

"Beats me." Virgil murmured, his eyes landing on a piece of paper on the bed fluttering in the open window. He walked over to it and picked it up, his eyes widening at the crudely handwritten letters.

_I'll get you someday, International Rescue._

+++

The speedboat flew across the Pacific Ocean towards Tracy Island, Jeff at the wheel. Tin-Tin, Brains, Kyrano, and his sons were crowded onto the seats behind him, the latter group participating in a conversation with raised voices, trying to be heard over the slamming of the hull against the waves.

"What I don't understand is why he wanted us out of the hotel in the first place," Gordon yelled at Scott.

"I don't know why either. Do you think he might have wanted to rob the place or something?" Scott shouted back.

Gordon shrugged and Virgil picked up the train of thought. "Why would he want to rob the hotel? It's not like they have anything he wants. The Hood seems only to be interested in plans, specifically ours. There must be another motive behind it."

"Maybe he just wanted to get us while we were on the mainland, since he doesn't know where base is." John volunteered, peering out over the dark sea towards Tracy Island, which loomed in the distance and got nearer with every passing second.

"But why would he want to hurt us? Wouldn't he want to call us out for a rescue and steal our plans?" Scott asked loudly.

"The Hood is a twisted criminal, Scott. You never know what he could be thinking." Tin-Tin told him, resting her head on her arm as she leaned forward to join in, Kyrano watching the waves as they passed in a blue blur next to her.

"I'm just glad you're all okay," Jeff called over his shoulder, steering the boat away from a floating log.

"Thank you, Mr. Tracy," Tin-Tin smiled brightly, relieved the Hood hadn't fatally wounded any of them.

"I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing Alan," Scott teased from the seat to her right. 

Tin-Tin let out an exaggerated sigh. "Only two more days."

The boys laughed and Virgil looked at John. "How about you, John? Feel ready to get back to Thunderbird 5?"

"As long as it means getting a break from you all," His brother answered, grinning. "I can see why I like it up there so much. It's so _quiet_."

Gordon grabbed the end of his crutch and pulled, sending John sprawling onto the floor since he'd had his hands locked around it during the ride. Then, feeling bad for picking on his injured brother, Gordon helped him back onto the plastic bench built into the side of the boat.

"You deserved that," Scott said jokingly as John glared at Gordon.

"Perhaps, but I'm sore enough as it is," John rubbed his knee for emphasis.

"I'm still wondering why the Hood decided to go after International Rescue while we were on vacation." Tin-Tin's hair whipped about her face in a black cloud as the others turned back to her.

"I want to know what he wanted with us. He obviously wanted us to leave, or else he wouldn't have written it on Gordon's head, but there's no reasonable explanation for any of it," Virgil said thoughtfully.

Scott looked out over the ocean, his eyes reflecting the tossing waves topped with white caps. "I guess we'll never know."

********************

One more chapter to go, guys! Then I'll try and post one of the other TB fics I'm currently working on. . .you will read it, won't you? :) 

Angelina


	10. Chapter Ten

Four and a half months later, Kyrano, Tin-Tin and Grandma entered the living room with cups of hot cocoa. They put the cups down on the table at the end of the room and went over to see how the Christmas decorating was going.  
  
To Tin-Tin, it looked like the boys had spent more time decorating each other than the tree. Alan had a string of lights wrapped around him like rope that lit up as Scott pulled him towards the wall and plugged them in. Gordon's fine hair was covered in strands of silver tinsel and Virgil had taped bits of wrapping paper to Scott. John has a Christmas ornament stuck to his sweater with one of the hooks that was supposed to hold it on the tree and Virgil had the angel on his head. Jeff had managed to escape his sons and was laying out the tree skirt underneath the Christmas tree.  
  
She glanced around, surveying the damage they'd done to the room. Open boxes of Christmas ornaments were scattered around the floor and on the couch and tinsel littered the carpet like a mat. Wrapping paper was flung in every direction, waiting to be used to wrap the gifts they'd bought for each other. Tin-Tin shook her head at the sight, a smile coming to her lips as she watched the five brothers horsing around in the mess.  
  
John had since recovered fully from the beating he and Tin-Tin had suffered while on vacation and was down from Thunderbird 5 for the week. Brains, who was busy trying to re-wire a faulty line of Christmas lights in the corner, had trained and programmed his robot, Braman, to man the space station so John could take a break and spend Christmas on Earth with his family. So far, there hadn't been any emergencies that required Braman to do anything, and as far as the Tracy's knew, he was just wandering aimlessly around Thunderbird 5 trying to figure out what all the different controls did.  
  
Tin-Tin, Grandma and Kyrano stepped in to help the boys decorate the Christmas tree while Jeff put in a CD of holiday songs he'd gotten the year before from his mother. Then he joined in and soon the tree was finished, it's sparkling lights casting a rainbow of colours bouncing across the room. The group stepped back to admire their work.  
  
Tin-Tin helped Alan pluck tinsel out of his hair and giggled as he picked some up off the floor and braided it into hers. They gathered at the piano, nursing their hot cups of cocoa as Virgil began to play carols on the keys. Soon their voices rose and fell with the notes, bringing the room to life with the spirit of Christmas. Gordon, Alan, John, Virgil, Scott, Jeff, Tin- Tin, Kyrano and Grandma shared matching grins as they sang joyously into the early hours of the morning.  
  
+++  
  
Scott, the last one to arrive in the living room on Christmas morning, sat down beside Virgil and looked at the glowing tree and the presents stacked beneath it. "So, who's first?" He yawned, after wishing everyone a merry Christmas. With so many people in the massive house, there were gifts galore.  
  
"Why don't we all go at the same time?" Gordon suggested, already searching for a package with his name on it.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Virgil glanced around, wondering if anyone would object.  
  
After they'd each acquired a bright parcel, wrapping paper began to fly as they tore them open in unison. Shrieks of surprise went up and laughter filled the room as they uncovered what had been hidden inside the presents.  
  
Alan held up a new International Rescue uniform that Tin-Tin and Grandma had made to replace the one that had been ripped to shreds when his girlfriend had been attacked. The sash was shiny and new, and as he inspected it, Alan noticed a small white heart had been sewn into the lining, out of view. He blushed as Tin-Tin grinned.  
  
"Thank you." He said graciously, giving her and Grandma Tracy a hug.  
  
Tin-Tin slipped the mood ring Brains had made for her onto her finger. It fit perfectly, and instantly changed to a tranquil shade of blue to match her relaxed and happy mood. She thanked him, wondering what chemicals could possibly react with body heat to change colour like the ones he must have used in the ring.  
  
After uncovering another few packages, John had also received a new uniform made by Tin-Tin and Grandma. It was identical to Alan's except for the colour of the sash and the absence of the heart. He put on the sash over his clothes and gave the two women hugs like Alan had done.  
  
When all the presents had been opened, the family headed into the kitchen to prepare Christmas breakfast as a group, which had always been the tradition in the Tracy household. Scott made the eggs, Alan flipped pancakes, Virgil handled the bacon, John tended the hash browns and Gordon made stacks of French toast. Jeff idly put bread in the toaster and buttered it when it was done while Kyrano and Brains made coffee and tea and Tin-Tin and Grandma set the massive dining table for the morning feast. Just like with the rescue organization that was their lives, everything came together best when they were a team.  
  
After breakfast, they bundled up and went outside to skate on the swimming pool. It didn't usually get cold enough to freeze the water, but Brains had made a chemical solution that solidified it, no matter what the temperature.  
  
Scott and Virgil pushed shovels over the surface of the pool, forcing the light snow that had fallen off the ice. Tin-Tin wrapped the scarf around her neck and felt the chilly winter air nipping at her cheeks. She smiled despite the cold and watched as Alan slipped over the ice towards her, his legs still getting used to the concept of the blades on his feet. It had been a long time since any of them had skated.  
  
He pulled her onto the ice and they glided over the surface, laughing as Gordon tripped and slid towards them on his rear end, straight into their legs. With multiple cries of surprise, the couple fell over his head and landed in a laughing heap. Jeff eyed them from the side, having decided the pool was crowded enough as it was with his sons and Tin-Tin skating on it. Kyrano was making warm drinks for when they were finished and Brains had disappeared off to his lab. It seemed to Jeff that so much human company was taxing on their engineer. Grandma Tracy had decided to finish doing the dishes rather than come outside in the cold.  
  
John skated peacefully around the outside of the pool, keeping away from the giggling pile that was Alan, Gordon and Tin-Tin. They still hadn't managed to stand up because they were laughing so hard at themselves and none could keep their balance. He skidded to a stop in front of Scott, who was busy pushing Virgil into the pile of snow they'd made from what had been on the ice. Virgil kicked him away, the blades of his skates glinting dangerously in the winter sunlight. When he managed to get back on his feet, he took off after Scott at blinding speed, chasing his older brother around the ice with a handful of snow.  
  
Scott cried out as Virgil shoved it down the back of his sweater, which proved to be amusing to the spectators. They cheered the two on as their battle continued. By the end, both were sopping wet and sitting on the ice without the energy to fight any more. Everyone else was in stitches at the looks on their faces and the snow clinging to their clothes, as well as the antics they had preformed during the fight.  
  
John took a deep breath of the cool air, smelling the scent of hot chocolate streaming through the kitchen window and the salt from the sea below them. His eyes followed his family as they enjoyed themselves and he smiled, knowing this was what Christmas was all about. Not the presents, not the food, not the decorations or the cheery music that flooded the household. It was the company, the friends, the family members, and the love that surrounded everyone on the holiday that made the celebrations all worthwhile.  
  
Scott skated over to him, shivering noticeably. He was about to step off the ice when he caught the look on his brother's face. Stopping beside him, he turned back to the others and surveyed them with the same wistful expression John did.  
  
"Merry Christmas, John," Scott said at last.  
  
John tilted his head and smiled at his brother. "Merry Christmas, Scott."  
  
*******************  
  
Wow, it's finished! Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed this fic, I really appreciate all your kind words :) I have 3 or more TB stories going now, and I will choose one and begin posting it soon! I'm not sure how they'll turn out and I want to make sure that they're decent before I begin uploading. I hope you'll read those too, and thanks again for the wonderful feedback!  
  
Angelina 


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